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The Romance Playbook: A Sweet Hockey RomCom Short Read
Can a star goalie and a brokenhearted author come up with their own romance playbook?
Dax
Fresh off a string of losses and some wild nights, I've been slapped with a team-issued dating ban until the playoffs are over. My determination to stay away from the opposite sex, however, gets sidelined when the author shadowing me for a book turns out to be a woman. To be fair, though, how was I supposed to know someone by the name of Charlie would be the most adorable and authentic person I’ve ever met? Good thing she’s not the type of woman I usually go for. So, why I can’t stop thinking about her?
Charlie
I’ve got two a looming deadline for my hockey romance novel, and a massive case of writer’s block. I don’t even like sports—or believe in love anymore after my last breakup, if I’m being honest. So when I meet the Bobcats’ star goalie, I’m not expecting sparks. Or to fall for him on the ice—as in, head over skates and right into his arms. But Dax is nothing like I imagined—he’s charming, complicated, and dangerously easy to like.
Nothing goes quite to plan for Dax and Charlie, but as they come to discover, the best romance story doesn’t always follow the rules.
Dax
Fresh off a string of losses and some wild nights, I've been slapped with a team-issued dating ban until the playoffs are over. My determination to stay away from the opposite sex, however, gets sidelined when the author shadowing me for a book turns out to be a woman. To be fair, though, how was I supposed to know someone by the name of Charlie would be the most adorable and authentic person I’ve ever met? Good thing she’s not the type of woman I usually go for. So, why I can’t stop thinking about her?
Charlie
I’ve got two a looming deadline for my hockey romance novel, and a massive case of writer’s block. I don’t even like sports—or believe in love anymore after my last breakup, if I’m being honest. So when I meet the Bobcats’ star goalie, I’m not expecting sparks. Or to fall for him on the ice—as in, head over skates and right into his arms. But Dax is nothing like I imagined—he’s charming, complicated, and dangerously easy to like.
Nothing goes quite to plan for Dax and Charlie, but as they come to discover, the best romance story doesn’t always follow the rules.
- GenresContemporaryRomance
84 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2025
10 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Liwen Y. Ho
96 books334 followersUSA Today bestselling author Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and chef by day (AKA a stay at home mom) and a writer by night. Her strength is in creating character-driven, deep POV romance infused with faith, humor, and happy ever afters.
In her pre-author life, she received a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary. She loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children (AKA munchkins).
Sign up for Liwen's newsletter for news about her upcoming releases, book giveaways and more at http://liwenho.com/free-book!
In her pre-author life, she received a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary. She loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children (AKA munchkins).
Sign up for Liwen's newsletter for news about her upcoming releases, book giveaways and more at http://liwenho.com/free-book!
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 2, 2025
5/5
Genre: Clean Romance/ Christian Romance
🚨TW: death of love ones
Read if you like:
🏒 Dual POV
🏒 Ice hockey MMC
🏒 Romance author FMC
🏒 Instant Love
🏒 Novella
🏒 Meet-cute
Favourite Moments
🏒 They first meet
🏒 At the ice rink (can’t spoil it)
🏒 They opening up to each other and help each other
🏒 Cousins moments
🏒 Him catching her before she falls.
(and a lot more)
Swoony moments
🏒 Him catching her when she falls.
🏒 Him showing her his vulnerable side.
(and lots more)
Synopsis
Dax
The goalie of the ice-hockey team Bobcats who is struggling to focus on ice-hockey. He promised his coach that he will not let anything distract him including dating.
Charlotte/Charlie
A romance author who is struggling with writer’s block after her ex dumped her.
Charlotte wanted to research on ice-hockey players and the game itself so she decided to interview one. Her best friend Vivian had a cousin who is an ice-hockey player. They met and they instantly clicked. Will Dax be able to keep the promise of his coach? Read The Romance Playbook to find out!
Review
Couldn’t put this down and finished it in one sitting. Loving this two. They are just so adorable together. It is love at first sight for both of them. And love that he is teaching her ice-skating though she told him that she was really bad at it. And they also opened up to each other about their struggles and help each other out. Love Vivian his cousin which is also her best friend. She is like kind of a matchmaker for them both too. Haha… Can’t spoil too much because it is a short one. I wish their story is longer because really love them both. And also hopefully Vivian will have her own happily ever after too.
I was gifted complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. Thanks to @author.liwenho for the ARC.
This is the 3rd book of series which is Meet-Cute Match-up series written by 5 amazing indie authors. You can check it out but some have not release yet.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it is available on KU.
Genre: Clean Romance/ Christian Romance
🚨TW: death of love ones
Read if you like:
🏒 Dual POV
🏒 Ice hockey MMC
🏒 Romance author FMC
🏒 Instant Love
🏒 Novella
🏒 Meet-cute
Favourite Moments
🏒 They first meet
🏒 At the ice rink (can’t spoil it)
🏒 They opening up to each other and help each other
🏒 Cousins moments
🏒 Him catching her before she falls.
(and a lot more)
Swoony moments
🏒 Him catching her when she falls.
🏒 Him showing her his vulnerable side.
(and lots more)
Synopsis
Dax
The goalie of the ice-hockey team Bobcats who is struggling to focus on ice-hockey. He promised his coach that he will not let anything distract him including dating.
Charlotte/Charlie
A romance author who is struggling with writer’s block after her ex dumped her.
Charlotte wanted to research on ice-hockey players and the game itself so she decided to interview one. Her best friend Vivian had a cousin who is an ice-hockey player. They met and they instantly clicked. Will Dax be able to keep the promise of his coach? Read The Romance Playbook to find out!
Review
Couldn’t put this down and finished it in one sitting. Loving this two. They are just so adorable together. It is love at first sight for both of them. And love that he is teaching her ice-skating though she told him that she was really bad at it. And they also opened up to each other about their struggles and help each other out. Love Vivian his cousin which is also her best friend. She is like kind of a matchmaker for them both too. Haha… Can’t spoil too much because it is a short one. I wish their story is longer because really love them both. And also hopefully Vivian will have her own happily ever after too.
I was gifted complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. Thanks to @author.liwenho for the ARC.
This is the 3rd book of series which is Meet-Cute Match-up series written by 5 amazing indie authors. You can check it out but some have not release yet.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it is available on KU.
October 8, 2025
What a fun, cute book complete of fun bits and pieces on and off the ice!
I enjoyed this book because it made me think of the first date I had with my husband, 40-some years ago. We went ice skating, and I wasn’t all that great, but he was very skilled. It was sweet to know that if I fell, he would be there, able to pick me up and keep me on my feet.
In this story, Dax is a professional hockey player, and Charlie is a writer who wants to learn all the ins and outs of hockey. So, she asks to shadow him for a day, and wow, do things go completely differently than they think they will.
Liwen Y. Ho has become one of my favorite “go-to” authors. Her stories are packed full of sweet lessons from God and how He loves us. They also have excellent examples woven throughout on how to cherish relationships.
Her writing is smooth, and the stories flow with wonderful characters and dialogue. This book was incredibly easy to read, and I finished it in one day! I had a hard time putting this book down. It was delightful! I was honestly caught up in the story and didn’t want it to end.
I highly recommend that you pick up this book and enjoy the many crazy moments it contains.
I received this book from the author, which did not influence my review in any way; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I enjoyed this book because it made me think of the first date I had with my husband, 40-some years ago. We went ice skating, and I wasn’t all that great, but he was very skilled. It was sweet to know that if I fell, he would be there, able to pick me up and keep me on my feet.
In this story, Dax is a professional hockey player, and Charlie is a writer who wants to learn all the ins and outs of hockey. So, she asks to shadow him for a day, and wow, do things go completely differently than they think they will.
Liwen Y. Ho has become one of my favorite “go-to” authors. Her stories are packed full of sweet lessons from God and how He loves us. They also have excellent examples woven throughout on how to cherish relationships.
Her writing is smooth, and the stories flow with wonderful characters and dialogue. This book was incredibly easy to read, and I finished it in one day! I had a hard time putting this book down. It was delightful! I was honestly caught up in the story and didn’t want it to end.
I highly recommend that you pick up this book and enjoy the many crazy moments it contains.
I received this book from the author, which did not influence my review in any way; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
September 20, 2025
Liwen has done it again! Dax and Charlie's story was everything we could have hoped for and more! A hockey player and a romance author with writer's block? Sign me up! And boy am I glad I did for this ARC! They were super adorable and cute together! My only "complain" will be that this is a short/bite-sized story, but believe me that every word counts and you still get all the romantic feelings from their meet-cute to their first kiss and the sweetest final chapter + epilogue combo, as well as fully developed characters (it pays even better if you've read Assisting the Athlete first, but this can also be read as a standalone) complete with some fun side characters like Coach or Vivian (do we get her story somewhere?). Honestly, the chemistry is the best, the pace and quirks are perfect, the backstories had me invested, and I really need to stop myself here before I give everything away 😅 (can you tell how much I loved it? 😍) If you're here yet, just go ahead and grab your copy. You won't regret it! ~ 5 stars!
January 4, 2026
The Romance Playbook by Liwen Y. Ho
The Romance Playbook is a sweet, lighthearted hockey rom-com with an enjoyable premise and plenty of charm. Pairing a star goalie under a team-issued dating ban with a romance author battling writer’s block makes for a fun and engaging setup.
Dax, the Bobcats’ star goalie, is determined to stay focused until the playoffs are over, but his resolve is tested when Charlie, the author shadowing him for a book, enters his life. Charlie doesn’t even like sports and has sworn off love after a painful breakup, so neither of them expects sparks to fly. Of course, nothing goes according to plan.
This was a quick, easy read with likable characters and a warm, clean romance. I enjoyed watching Dax and Charlie grow closer, and their story had several sweet moments that made me smile. While the plot follows familiar rom-com tropes and is fairly predictable, it was still a pleasant and enjoyable read.
Overall, I’m glad I picked this one up. If you’re in the mood for a low-angst, feel-good hockey romance that’s perfect for a short reading session, The Romance Playbook is a solid choice.
The Romance Playbook is a sweet, lighthearted hockey rom-com with an enjoyable premise and plenty of charm. Pairing a star goalie under a team-issued dating ban with a romance author battling writer’s block makes for a fun and engaging setup.
Dax, the Bobcats’ star goalie, is determined to stay focused until the playoffs are over, but his resolve is tested when Charlie, the author shadowing him for a book, enters his life. Charlie doesn’t even like sports and has sworn off love after a painful breakup, so neither of them expects sparks to fly. Of course, nothing goes according to plan.
This was a quick, easy read with likable characters and a warm, clean romance. I enjoyed watching Dax and Charlie grow closer, and their story had several sweet moments that made me smile. While the plot follows familiar rom-com tropes and is fairly predictable, it was still a pleasant and enjoyable read.
Overall, I’m glad I picked this one up. If you’re in the mood for a low-angst, feel-good hockey romance that’s perfect for a short reading session, The Romance Playbook is a solid choice.
October 8, 2025
This one is my favorite of the series! We first meet Dax in Liwen's Assisting the Athlete part of the Kendall family series where he is a side character in teammate, Sebastian's story.
Dax is a cinnamon roll character - tough, but gentle throughout the book even if he has a reputation for being a ladies man at the beginning of the story (off page.)
Charlotte (Charlie) is sweet, innocent and thoughtful with a fun personality.
I enjoyed watching them fall in love. I appreciated getting to see Dash's humility after he realizes he messes up, and Charlie's willingness to forgive him.
I loved how sincere he is with Charlie. That kiss at the hockey game? *swoon*. (Sweet and clean, but leaving no doubt on his feelings for Charlie.)
Dax is a cinnamon roll character - tough, but gentle throughout the book even if he has a reputation for being a ladies man at the beginning of the story (off page.)
Charlotte (Charlie) is sweet, innocent and thoughtful with a fun personality.
I enjoyed watching them fall in love. I appreciated getting to see Dash's humility after he realizes he messes up, and Charlie's willingness to forgive him.
I loved how sincere he is with Charlie. That kiss at the hockey game? *swoon*. (Sweet and clean, but leaving no doubt on his feelings for Charlie.)
September 21, 2025
This is a super cute read, part of the Meet-Cute Match-Ups series. As a short read, I didn’t feel like the story was rushed, it is well written, and the characters are so fun. Dax is a hockey player who was more or less told he needs to stay away from women as it was affecting his game. Charlie is a romance writer, with writer’s block who wants to write a book on hockey but knows nothing about hockey. Her friend tells her she will introduce her to her cousin, a hockey player, to learn the game. The banter between them provides good humor, there is sweet romance, a perfect story for when you have a small period to read and want to finish a book.
September 23, 2025
Loved this story!! Dax and Charlie meet when Dax's cousin Vivi asks Dax to help Charlie learn about hockey. Dax thinks Charlie is a guy, until he meets her. Then, he falls hard for her, but he's promised his coach he won't have anything to do with women until after the season is over. Charlie unknowingly has helped Dax figure out why he wasn't playing his best. Now, is it too late for him and Charlie, and will coach okay Dax dating before the season is over??
I received a complimentary copy of this book, was not required to leave a review, and the opinion expressed is my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, was not required to leave a review, and the opinion expressed is my own.
September 12, 2025
The Romance Playbook is a very sweet story that begins with Charlie, a romance author who wants to write a hockey story, but knows nothing about the sport and has writer's block. So, her best friend Viv tells her she will introduce her to her cousin Dax, who is a professional hockey player. Sounds perfect, but what Viv doesn't know is that Dax has been told by his coach to stay away from women and keep his mind in the game. Read this short story and you will thoroughly enjoy it!
September 16, 2025
This was a cute sweet read! The Romance Playbook is written by Liwen Y Ho and it is the third book in the multi author series, Meet-Cute Match-Ups. This was a bite sized easy read. Although it moved quickly, it was fun to read about Dax and Charlie. They had some obstacles in their way but everything ended up working out well. The side characters were fun. The Romance Playbook is a clean contemporary romance.
I received a complimentary copy
I received a complimentary copy
October 3, 2025
Short, Sweet, and So Very Cute
She knows nothing about sports—doesn’t even like them—and now she’s supposed to write a hockey book? Enter Dax, a star goalie who thinks Charlie is a guy until they’re thrown together by her cousin. Sparks fly, but there’s one problem: his team has banned him from dating. What follows is a lighthearted, clean romance that’s both fun and heartwarming. I especially enjoyed the bite-sized length—perfect for a one-sitting read that leaves you smiling.
She knows nothing about sports—doesn’t even like them—and now she’s supposed to write a hockey book? Enter Dax, a star goalie who thinks Charlie is a guy until they’re thrown together by her cousin. Sparks fly, but there’s one problem: his team has banned him from dating. What follows is a lighthearted, clean romance that’s both fun and heartwarming. I especially enjoyed the bite-sized length—perfect for a one-sitting read that leaves you smiling.
September 8, 2025
This book is part of the Meet Cute Match-ups, a multi-author series about hockey, friendships and romance. Each one is really short, so a fun read on a lunch break or in between longer books. Ho’s contribution features a character that showed up in her book, Assisting the Athlete. I really enjoyed it!
September 19, 2025
This was short and sweet. There were a lot of cute and funny moments (how could there not be when the FMC is a romance author?) I really think the epilogue was just the perfect ending and so stinkin’ cute!
If you’re looking for a short and sweet feel-good pick me up, this is just what you want.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review
If you’re looking for a short and sweet feel-good pick me up, this is just what you want.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review
October 10, 2025
Dax and Charlie
This is a fun, flirty, and interesting short romantic story. I enjoyed the interactions between Charlie and Dax. I enjoyed how they communicated with and cared about each other. I liked the dynamics and the happy ending. This book is a great addition to the Meet-Cute Match-Up series.
This is a fun, flirty, and interesting short romantic story. I enjoyed the interactions between Charlie and Dax. I enjoyed how they communicated with and cared about each other. I liked the dynamics and the happy ending. This book is a great addition to the Meet-Cute Match-Up series.
October 4, 2025
Dax & Charlie's story is a cute, quick hockey romance 💕
Opposites Attract
Author FMC
Meet Cute
Instant Attraction
Hockey RomCom
Faith Inspired
Thank you Liwen for a copy of your book. This is my genuine review.
Opposites Attract
Author FMC
Meet Cute
Instant Attraction
Hockey RomCom
Faith Inspired
Thank you Liwen for a copy of your book. This is my genuine review.
November 30, 2025
Very short book about a romance author and a hockey player. Cute sorry and fun characters. However this story felt rushed and wasn't cohesive. It would have been delightful with more interactions between the characters instead of feeling like he's declaring his love for her after a short interview.
September 7, 2025
A cute sweet romance novella! Perfect if you are looking for a quick read.
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.
September 7, 2025
This is my voluntary review of a copy I was given.
Charlie is sweet and guileless, and Dax is truly intrigued by her.
The story is entertaining.
Charlie is sweet and guileless, and Dax is truly intrigued by her.
The story is entertaining.
September 10, 2025
This is a very cute rom-com. I love that Charlie is so non-athletic and I love that she stayed that way throughout the story. She didn't need to be 'fixed'. It's a short read but worth it!
October 1, 2025
Charlie and Dax are both in need of someone who truly understands them. They don't realize it though. For being a short book, this is fun. I can honestly say that I wish this story was longer!
October 7, 2025
I enjoyed this clean hockey romance about Charlie and Dax falling in love as he helps her learn about hockey for her new romance novel.
October 24, 2025
Loved this book. 5 stars. ⭐ 🌟 🌟 ⭐ ⭐ Short sweet and romantic.
November 24, 2025
4.5 stars
January 9, 2026
Adorable
I grinned through the whole story. Very short and sweet. Charlie was adorable. A wonderful little bite-sized hockey romance.
I am glad I read it.
I grinned through the whole story. Very short and sweet. Charlie was adorable. A wonderful little bite-sized hockey romance.
I am glad I read it.
September 30, 2025
Loved it!!! Dax and Charlie are so cute. She makes me smile and laugh quite a bit in this story. He fell quick and hard. I got to meet him in Assisting the Athlete and if you haven't read it I highly encourage you to. While this is a short read, I believe it delivers the story. Their interactions were so cute, witty, and tugged at my heart. Great ending.
January 5, 2026
A quick read in a series of multi-author hockey romances!
I was excited that this author was writing a hockey romance! I really enjoyed this story and look forward to checking out more books in the series.
I was excited that this author was writing a hockey romance! I really enjoyed this story and look forward to checking out more books in the series.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews