Face Off Again

The Breakaway Love Series #3

by L.C. Reagan

He’s the emotional heart of the team. She’s the one who broke it.

Jordan Maddox isn’t just the Titans’ golden boy on the ice—he’s the pulse of the locker room. But behind the charm and easy grin is a heartbreak he’s never truly gotten over.

When the team hires a mental health specialist mid-season, Jordan’s world shifts. Because the new therapist? Is Elena Carver—the woman who left him without a word 5 years ago.

She’s built a life far from the game—and from him—including raising a daughter he doesn’t know exists. Now she’s back in his orbit, trying to keep the truth buried and her heart intact.

Jordan’s not the same guy she walked away from—but the way he looks at her hasn’t changed. Neither has the pull between them. And as professional boundaries blur, Elena has to tell the truth and risk everything, or keep the secret that’s already breaking her.

Face Off Again is a flirty, heart-tugging second-chance hockey romance about loyalty, fatherhood, and the courage to take another shot—on the ice and off.

Genres: Sports

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2025

About the author

L.C. Reagan writes contemporary romances about powerful women, irresistible men, and the kind of forbidden tension that keeps you up all night.

A former book publisher turned storyteller, she’s obsessed with slow burns, scandalous chemistry, and happily ever afters that are worth the fight. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her binging true crime documentaries, wandering a bookstore, or planning her next fictional escape.

L.C. lives for broken rules, high stakes, and the delicious chaos of falling in love when you’re supposed to know better.

Be sure to follow L.C. on BookBub so you can be alerted of her newest releases! https://bit.ly/46WH0vz

Reviews

[Jennifer Bischoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting book for me. Usually I am all about girl power, strong and independent women. But in this book I found myself rooting for the guy. His story a bit sad but with a happy ending. This book was well worth the read.

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

[The Bourbon-Sipping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Face Off Again is a triple-threat: a hockey romance layered with the emotional punch of a secret baby trope and the irresistible tension of a second-chance story. L.C. Reagan delivers a deeply satisfying blend of rink-side action, workplace drama, and the slow, inevitable reconnection between two people who thought their game was over. It’s the perfect blend of sweet family moments and fiery adult tension.

The story centers on a hockey star and the woman from his past who now works alongside his team. When a career move forces them back into the same city, the secret she's been keeping—their adorable child—becomes impossible to hide. The book’s core strength is the forced proximity as they navigate being co-parents and co-workers, all while fighting the very real, very hot chemistry that never truly faded.

What I Sipped & Savored
🥃 Trope Execution: The secret baby reveal is handled with genuine emotional weight, avoiding unnecessary melodrama. The focus quickly shifts to the heroes' journey of learning how to parent together and fall back in love, which is incredibly endearing.
🥃 Workplace Banter: The "flirty" energy in the title comes alive in their interactions. Their professional forced proximity creates fantastic moments of witty, often frustrated banter that cracks their emotional armor.
🥃 The Hockey Hero: The hero’s dedication to the sport is great, but his unraveling when faced with his child is pure gold. Seeing a strong, stoic athlete completely bowled over by instant fatherhood gives this romance fantastic depth.

What Made Me Side-Eye My Glass
🥃 The "Secret" Shelf-Life: As with all secret baby plots, there's a point where you might want the inevitable confrontation to happen faster. The initial avoidance and high-stakes workplace environment occasionally stall the emotional progress.
🥃 Supporting Cast: The secondary team characters are fun, but the book spends so much time focusing on the core couple (which is good!) that I wanted a bit more time with the broader team and league dynamics.

Final Pour
Face Off Again is an excellent 3.75 out of 5 stars. It’s the perfect read for fans who love the high stakes of sports romance but crave a deeper, family-oriented emotional core. This book successfully scores the hat trick of great tension, undeniable chemistry, and a heartwarming happily ever after.

Pairs well with: A spiked hot chocolate—sweet, comforting, and just enough proof to give you that internal winter warmth.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Emma Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Face Off Again is an irresistible blend of flirty banter, slow-burning tension, and emotional payoff that hits all the right notes for fans of sports romance. From the very first chapter, the chemistry between the lead characters crackles with energy, drawing you into their world of icy arenas and even hotter attraction. The author masterfully builds tension between the hockey star and his unexpected second chance, keeping the stakes high and the emotions genuine. Just when you think you know where the story is headed, an early twist lands with perfect timing and turns everything upside down.

What sets this romance apart is its ability to balance steamy moments with heartfelt depth. The secret baby trope is handled with care and nuance, adding layers of vulnerability and realism to both leads. Their journey from flirty sparks to something far more meaningful is paced just right, with enough obstacles to keep the reader hooked without ever feeling contrived. If you’re looking for a romance that delivers charm, heartache, and a truly satisfying payoff, Face Off Again is a must-read.

My only wish for this book would be more growth towards the end, it seems to jump around quote suddenly.

[Michelle Kssili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Past is never entirely left in the past. It always has a way of returning. Elena accepted a job request as a therapist for an NHL hockey team, unknown that her ex Jordan played for this team. Elena left Jordan 5 years ago, and she saw the future where Jordan only saw the present. She felt as if she was losing herself in a relationship that was going nowhere. (This happens more than we can imagine.) Jordan didn't think he would ever see Elena again.

Jordan and Elena "had the kind of history that ends with a semicolon, not a period." Elena tried to keep professional. She needed this job. She knew, "Some memories just never fade away." Elena has been keeping a secret from Jordan - they have a daughter. (He had every right to know, even though I understand why she didn't want to tell him.) She didn't want to complicate his life or hurt her daughter. (Sometimes, as parents, we have to make difficult choices.)

Excellent story, old love, and finding out you have a daughter. What an amazing story. I do recommend reading. The ending wasn't what I expected. The author caught my attention and maintained it from the beginning.

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best book in the Breakaway Love series -in my criteria- as it combines a few tropes seamlessly in this plot.

Elena is the new team's therapist, a single mom who is caring and strong. Jordan is the golden boy of the hockey team but needs the help of the therapist, and they are faced with each other once again. Yes, these two have history, he is the love she wanted a forever with, she is the one he left behind in pursuit of his fame. But what he is about to discover is that he left a heartbreak and a daughter behind, and here is where the story starts.

The close proximity will bring all their feelings back to the surface, and the secret will make him understand a lot about himself. BE prepared to see the playboy hockey player become a puppy for his daughter. Their love story is sweet and passionate but it is the parenting part of it that is the highlight of it all!.

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

[Amy Heidecker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't hate this book. There was one thing that I (as a therapist by trade) didn't care for. If this woman was an actual mental health specialist she would have never been this man's counselor. She would never put herself in a position like that. This girl worked too hard for her degree. I did like her dealing with the ethical issue since the author wrote it in like they did. But the minute she kissed him she should have walked away if she was so concerned about her child and their future/how she will provide for her.

My other issue was that she decided to keep the child from him for so long. I just find it tacky. He deserved to have a right to be in the childs life and its his decision if he wants to leave his job, etc. The whole trope of "I didn't want to stop your dreams" i'm just over it. What if his dream is to be a dad?

otherwise I enjoyed the romance and dealing with the past stuff.


I got this copy free and was not paid for my review.

[Cait's Reading Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.C. Reagan’s Face Off Again continues The Breakaway Love Series.

Elena sees Jordan for the first time in five years. She is hired as the team’s mental health specialist

She is also raising their daughter. Elena understands the stakes of reconnecting with Jordan for family and career. She tries to manage her feelings as she sees that Jordan is not the same man he was five year ago. But the stakes are higher now.

Similar to the other books in this series, the emotional journey of the leads draws you in, wanting to see what happens to their story. The pace is well done, creating a slow burn and path to a second chance for Jordan and Elena.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy hockey romance, slow burn, and second chance stories.

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

[Ashley Bidon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Face off Again was a cute, wholesome book with a second chance romance and two MCs who needed to find a way to live with the past while trying to create a future together.

I loved the strong FMC with a strong MC while they both melt only for each other. I love the third person pov for both Jordan and Elena but that it switched back and forth for them both as well.

This was a cute, quick read for me and was a nice change of pace from what I normally read. The emotion was there but I would have liked a bit more depth when it came time for secrets to be revealed and for the MCs to try and work through their trials. This was a 3/5 ⭐️ read for me and it’s a great read for between series or if you are in a book slump!

Thank you BookSirens and L.C Regan for this arc read and allowing me to share my opinions on this book!

[Shuvai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Face Off Again by L.C. Reagan
A second-chance hockey romance with a secret baby twist, Face Off Again is a deeply emotional, slow-burn story that blends rink-side tension, workplace drama, and tender family moments. When Elena takes a job as a team therapist, she’s stunned to find her ex, Jordan, on the roster—and even more shaken by the secret she’s been keeping: their daughter. As co-parents and colleagues, their unresolved chemistry simmers beneath every interaction, making for a compelling, page-turning read. With well-developed characters, emotional depth, and a hard-won happily ever after, this story proves that some love stories aren’t over—they’re just waiting for overtime.
Highly recommended.

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

[Melinda Hennies · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed Jordan and Elena's story.
Jordan's plays hockey foe the Titans. He is always joking and creating energy on and off the ice, until it starts to become too much.
Jordan's about dies when he sees the one person who left him 5 years ago Elena. They lock eyes but go about the day.
Elena never thought she would see Jordan again. She was hired as the team therapist to help thebteam work through person issues.
Jordan avoids Elena and is cold..until he isn't. Elena keeps it professional until she doesn't.
Elena has secrets she never thought she would have to tell until her world falls apart. Jordan is there to always protect her, because he has always cared.
Elena proves to Jordan that Avery is every bit a part of him as her. The meeting is everything Jordan never knew he wanted.
Together these two make life work and find the happiness both have always wanted.

[Teri Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much unresolved tension for a lot of this book. You could easily tell there was just something between the MMC and the FMC. Really interesting book that kept me turning the pages. A few surprises that turn out to be lies and secrets play into this story. I loved the past of the two main characters. It was pretty intense in parts. I thought the characters were well developed and I understood why each of the main characters did and said what they did. The content of the book was easy to read. The story was well-organized and had a good flow. There is a hard fought HEA, which made me happy. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I would recommend reading this story.

[Julie Juhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Face Off Again by L.C. Reagan is the third book of The Breakaway Love Series.
I enjoyed reading Elena and Jordan's story. They met and fell in love on college, five years later she is hired by the Titans. She now has a daughter, his daughter. Will they be able to make things work? I guess you will have to read the book to find out.

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

[LA FITCH · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book, I just love this Titans hockey series. Jordan and Elena fell in love at college but she left when he was being drafted. Five years later he finds out he has a daughter. This is well-written and tells their story bringing all the tension, angst and feelings perfectly into play. A definite must-read.

[Jennifer Bischoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting book for me. Usually I am all about girl power, strong and independent women. But in this book I found myself rooting for the guy. His story a bit sad but with a happy ending. This book was well worth the read.

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

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

They dated in college and she left him when he was drafted. Had their daughter and never told him. Now, she has taken a job as mental health coach not knowing it was for the NHL team he plays for. They reconnect but can they work out their issues for their HEA? Great story, really enjoyed it.

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

[Cynthia Woodham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordan and Elena spent a summer together before things changed. Four years later they find themselves crossing paths when Elena joins the Titans. I really enjoyed this one. Perfect summer reading.

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

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was ok, but more than tame. It also has quite a bit of bad language. If you don't mind that, this is a good story.

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

[Cathy Moir-Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm definitely a big fan of this series. In-depth character development and a storyline that tugs at your heart. Another winning shot !