Sin Bin

D.C. Stars #5

by Chelsea Curto

Brody Saunders is the best coach in the NHL. Grumpy, menacing and with two Stanley Cups under his belt as the head coach of the DC Stars, the last thing he should be doing is hooking up with his player’s younger sister. After the night of their one night stand almost ends in tragedy, he pulls away, vowing to pretend like their rendezvous ever happened.

Hannah Everett is a world champion figure skater who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. When she acknowledges she’s burnt out with the sport she’s spent her whole life doing, she realizes she needs all the help she can get to find herself, and her love of skating, again.

What starts as an agreement for Hannah to coach Brody’s daughter for the figure skating season, quickly turns into something more. Between the time they’re spending together on and off the ice, Hannah starts to see Brody isn’t the short-tempered man the media portrays him to be, and the longer they fight their connection, the more the tension between them grows.

Falling in love with the girl fourteen years younger than him isn’t part of Brody’s plan, but can he stay out of the sin bin when the world finally learns about their relationship?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Sports, Hockey Romance, Grumpy Sunshine, Friends To Lovers

472 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2025

About the author

Chelsea Curto is a New York Times & USA Today best-selling author of banter-filled romance novels that highlight strong women and the men obsessed with them. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time between the Northeast and Florida while daydreaming about what book she’s going to read next.


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Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GRUMPY SINGLE DAD WITH THE FILTHIEST MOUTH WHO QUITE LITERALLY GETS ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES AND CRAWLS FOR HER?!!!!! Need I say more?!!

Brody Saunders the man that you are. No I’m sick. Disgusted. UNWELL. I cannot stop thinking about this man. He literally booked a flight across the country for one night to be with her because she was sad and lonely. He faked sick and left his hockey game to catch a flight to make it to her figure skating competition…?!!! No he worships the ground she walks on.

Did I also mention he’s an nhl hockey coach and she’s his players sister??? Yeah yeah yeahhhhhh.

God this series is everything to me, without a doubt my favorite hockey romance series no question. The found family in this is literally one of my all time favorites. The emotional connection I have to these characters is not even funny. I cried so many times in this because of the relationships between characters and seeing what other characters from past books were going through and getting glimpses of their lives like they’re all so important to me I could read about them forever.

Brody and Hannah were absolutely perfect. Their chemistry from the moment they met was palpable and my god were they HOT. And Brody being the best dad on the PLANETTTT!!

Something I also so deeply adore about this series is how it doesn’t follow traditional gender roles and doesn’t put women in a box of what is considered a traditional “happy ending” in romance books. Like my girl Chelsea LOVES women and it shows in her books. I love how some of her fmcs like Hannah don’t see themselves ever getting married/having kids , but still being in a happy, loving relationship where their partner uplifts them and supports them. This is something I strongly relate to and it’s rare to seeing in romance books. Also all these women are so confident and sure of themselves in all aspects of their lives and it’s so empowering. Ugh I could go on and on and onnnnnnnn!!!

Anyways I’m gonna shut up now I’m literally crashing out I want to reread it right this second!

“Jesus Christ.” “My name is Brody, sweetheart. Try to get it right next time.”

“What else do you want, baby? The moon? I’ll bring it out of the fucking sky for you.”

“Peace. That’s the way to describe what it’s like to have her in my arms. The outside noises, the responsibilities, the list of things I need to accomplish tomorrow—everything else on my plate disappears. It narrows down to a single thing, the only woman who has ever had so much of my attention. Her.”

[ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series keeps delivering and I'm so grateful for it!! I loved this so much, a grumpy single dad and a women that puts him on his knees, absolute perfection!!! 

Brody is the greenest flag ever, I love that man to pieces. My greatest weakness were always grumpy man that always smile for her!!! He was such an amazing dad, I absolutely adored his relationship with Olivia and it was so refreshing to read about a healthy co-parenting relationship. He was direct and always there for the people in his life. His love language are acts of service and he showed up every time and I love the way he uplifted Hannah, at every turn.
Hannah was absolutely wonderful, I love and admire her so much. Dealing with a burnout is hard and I'm so happy she found her joy again. I loved her openness and her drive. But, I'm really disappointed we didn't get more of her relationship with Grant.. They said they were close, but I didn't really get that feeling.. Her hiding her relationship from him for so long made no sense.

I really enjoyed their moments together. The skating, the ribbons, the keychains, the competition, the flirting and the teasing, their secret touches and the small moments.. When Brody took a plane to come to her just for one night, because she had a bad day and felt lonely, that was everything!!! They had a rough start, but I loved how they communicated later on and how supportive he was of her. They were perfect for each other. I do wish we got more scenes with them skating together though and to see more of her falling in love with figure skating again..
Also, I really loved the way Hannah was with Olivia and all their moments together on and off the ice. She was an amazing coach to her. 

Once again, the team and the group chat are my favourite part. The found family is what made me love these books so much. That scene with Maverick made me cry, it truly does take a village. The way this team is always there for each other never fails to make me emotional and I'm so happy Brody is finally a part of it!! I would die for them all, it's why I keep giving these books five stars even if there's some issues with the story.. I just adore these characters far too much to give anything less than a perfect rating, they deserve all the love. 

I'm so grateful for all the glimpses we got of the other couples, I love them all so much and Murphy is absolutely the cutest!! I especially loved seeing Riley again, his book will forever be my favourite!! 
I'm so happy we finally got some insight into Ethan, I'm even more excited for his book!! 
And Grant, after that last sentence, I'm literally counting down the days untill his book is out. I'm ready for all the drama!! 

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

I got a little sidetracked, but I'm finally ready to read Brody's story.
I'm so excited!!

[Brianna ᥫ᭡ (hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

— Rating: 2.5 ★ .ᐟ

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Before I start this review just know that despite me primarily complaining, Sin Bin did have enjoyable features! They were just overshadowed by other questionable writing choices for me. — This book has made me want to go on the biggest rant. I don’t know why I continued reading when the first five chapters already had me bored to death, but I pushed through. That was my first mistake. My second was thinking that maybe, just maybe, the storyline would pick up after a few chapters even though I was 50% in with absolutely nothing happening. It in fact did not. I loved every other book in this series thus far, so I truthfully don’t know why this one just wasn’t for me at all.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ There was literally no plot. Okay, obviously there was a plot, but it was so utterly boring. Hannah coaches Brody’s daughter, allowing for them to rekindle after a one-night stand, then after a few chapters said plot is tossed away as an after thought for the rest of the story. It was entertaining at first, but it became lack-luster quickly. The main characters were basically together for the entire book and it was so… dull? There was literally no explanation for why they were attracted to each other, they just randomly got in bed together during the first chapters and then a 16 month time skip happens. Then the story continued in a repetitive matter with literally nothing happening for the rest of the book. Sin Bin overall just felt so rushed. So many details were forgotten, there were no emotional stakes, and the amount of lusting in this book was unbearable. There is no reason I should be more interested in the side characters lives than I am in the main characters.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Brody and Hannah’s dynamic didn’t make it any better, because all it did was give me the ick. The fact Hannah was quite literally closer to Brody’s daughter in age than she was to him? And she was calling him ‘daddy’? I genuinely vomited internally a few times while reading this. There were times I thought they were cute, it just didn’t happen often. They may have been the reason the plot was so boring because they were completely uninteresting. There was no depth put into their relationship, no build up to their feelings, it just felt so random? There was almost no tension filled scenes either because the main character’s chemistry was blatantly lacking. Also, their banter? It was absolutely the unfunniest aspect of this book. Most of it was based around their age difference and it got repetitive real fast. Basically their relationship could be described with every synonym of the word boring. The way Hannah was the brother of one of Brody’s players also just weirded me out so badly. Grant, Hannah’s brother, idolized his coach and then said coach goes and bangs his sister? It was just… ew.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Don’t even get me started on the characters as individuals. I can not emphasize how badly Hannah pissed me off. She had the audacity to talk about how ‘immature’ other people were when she was the complete opposite of mature herself. Brody was decent I guess? Just like the rest of this series, a lot of the writing was filled with lusting from both characters which didn’t help their cases. Honestly, their monologues were just so tedious and I couldn’t stop myself from skimming this book after 70% in due to the lack of any entertaining aspect in their personalities. Again, like their dynamic, they were just so individually unexciting. It may not even be that their personalities were bland, just that this book didn’t illuminate them in the best way? There were moments where the main character’s had me hooked, but it was rare. Hannah and Brody also had no real depth put into them. I couldn’t connect with them at all which made it extremely difficult to fully immerse myself into the story.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ The writing in this book was also questionable. I know, I’ve said it multiple times now, but the lust was the first thing to annoy me. Yes, the excessive smut/lust has always been one of my problems with Chelsea Curto’s writing, but it was an even bigger issue for me in this book because there were no redeeming qualities that allowed me to brush the lusting aside. Usually, the way Chelsea illustrates the romance between the main characters in her books has me entranced with their dynamic and therefore I’m able to ignore the smut and lust. This book though? Not the case, at all. Sin Bin also had no emotional complexity, any attempt at incorporating it just felt overly forced. The storyline was extremely repetitive after a certain point and the only reason this book got a 2 star rating was because of the found family element, albeit being extremely diminished compared to the previous books in this series. I still adore Chelsea’s writing, everyone in this book aside from the main characters amused me, but the execution for this storyline wasn’t the best.

౨ৎ Hannah Everett.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ This girl was getting on my nerves in the very first chapters. Someone tell me why she took it “personal” when Brody had to leave mid-hookup due to one of his players being hospitalized after an accident? I promise there are bigger issues than you not getting banged. I guess I can understand in some sense why she felt that way, but still. Then she had the audacity to get pissed at Grant’s reaction when he found out his literal coach was dating his sister out of the blue. Maybe if you communicated about your life with your own brother you wouldn’t be having these problems.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Hannah was just so bland, and her immaturity made her character ten times worse. Yeah, she had a cute friendship with Brody’s daughter and was sweet at times, but I cant get past the fact she was such a hypocrite. Also, I’m sorry, but her depth felt so forced. I don’t know why either, it was just missing something. Maybe it was the fact she quite literally ‘retired’ just to go back to ice skating months later. We just didn’t get to see her recovery to its full potential. Burn out is obviously different for everyone and I’m not trying to downplay it at all, it just didn’t feel correctly delved into within this book. I did enjoy the scenes with her skating and coaching Brody’s daughter though, so props to that?

౨ৎ Brody Saunders.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ I didn’t hate him, but I didn’t fawn over him either. Surprisingly enough, I did enjoy his character. The way he opened up to getting closer with his players despite being their coach was cute, and I liked seeing his usually grumpy demeanor breakdown throughout the story. Unfortunately though, he didn’t stand out to me. Yes, he had his moments where he’d do something romantic which I loved, but this book’s plot had me bored to the point I couldn’t even care. Also, can we talk about how he got a tattoo for Hannah even though he barely knew her? It felt like Chelsea was trying to force a meaningful moment for their relationship.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ His relationship with his daughter was adorable and I loved seeing the healthy co-parenting he managed. However, alike to Hannah, he did have me annoyed a few times. Like when he said he’d willingly skip out on celebrating one of his players surviving an accident if Hannah was included in the celebration because he was actively avoiding her during the first few chapters. I know this isn’t Riley’s book, but the way his accident was described from Brody’s perspective was so disappointing. I do think Brody got some depth, but it was more so glossed over? Seriously, tell me why it feels like I learned more about him in Hat Trick than I did Sin Bin. I still liked him, I just don’t think he was illustrated to his full potential.

⤿ read: may 11 - may 16 ; 2026

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

⸝⸝ #1. Face Off : 4 ★
⸝⸝ #2. Power Play : 3.75 ★
⸝⸝ #3. Slap Shot : 4.25 ★
⸝⸝ #4. Hat Trick : 4.75 ★
⸝⸝ #5. Sin Bin : 2.5 ★

[aislinn ★ · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

─── ୨ৎ 3.75 stars
⤿ .ᐟ spoiler-free review

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎⤿ ‎⋮ ⟢ started: june 6, finished: june 27

⤿ ‎⋮ "what else do you want, baby? the moon? I'll bring it out the fucking sky for you."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — synopsis
Hannah Everett is struggling with mental burnout from figure skating and is trying to navigate what she needs to do in order to rehash her love for her sport and put herself first. When head Coach of the DC stars hockey team Brody Saunders reaches out to her, asking her to coach his daughter in figure skating, Hannah decides this will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy her sport without the usual pressure she feels. However, Hannah and Brody have a short-lived and unfinished history together. Will they really be able to be just friends like they agreed to or will old feelings and wounds begin to resurface?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — tropes
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⊹ single dad
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⊹ age gap
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⊹ forbidden romance
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⊹ NHL coach x figure skater
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⊹ grumpy x sunshine

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — thoughts
As you can see, this book has some delicious tropes and I ate this story right up. It had me giggling, yearning, stressing, you name it. I really loved the way it touched on Hannah's struggles and I think Chelsea Curto did a great job with helping the reader to feel connected to Hannah or, at least familiar with her. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't care for her as much because the previous FMC's were shown a lot throughout the other books (with the exception of Mads) so I was able to grow to love them over a period of time.

I've learnt in the past year that I really love single parent tropes and a huge reason for that is because I love meeting the child of that parent! Brody's daughter, Liv added such great things to this book and I loved watching her and her dad's banter and her and Hannah's heart to hearts.

And of course, we got fed with the hilarious hockey group chat texts and team dinners in this one which is always a huge highlight in these books. I've come to love every character in this series deeply so any time I see one of them mentioned, it's truly like being reunited with an old friend.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — characters

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ brody saunders ꒱ ˎˊ˗

"it’s like he’s written by a fucking woman."

gahhhh i am SO happy this man got his own book because he is a character i could read about forever. to the media, he seems like the typical grumpy asshole coach but to his family he is a teddy bear. and to his team, well, yeah he can be an asshole but he also gives the title of "Coach" a whole new meaning. he treats the boys on his team like his sons. he is both their hockey coach AND life coach. he deeply cares about his boys and I was so emotional numerous times when the guys would confide in him.

he also co-parents with his daughter's mother so well. it was so refreshing to read a story where the two parents who have separated decided to do so for healthy reasons and still have love for each other, even if they are not in love.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ hannah everett ꒱ ˎˊ˗

"inhale confidence, exhale fear, remember?"

I appreciate the realness of her character so much. she gave me a sense of comfort and I loved how she ultimately stayed true to herself after struggling with that. I also just love how she keeps her circle small and only associates herself with the people she truly cares about. she was an amazing coach to Liv too and I adore their little friendship that they formed and how they pick on Brody together.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ brody+hannah ꒱ ˎˊ˗

"“peace. that’s the way to describe what it’s like to have her in my arms. the outside noises, the responsibilities, the list of things I need to accomplish tomorrow—everything else on my plate disappears. it narrows down to a single thing, the only woman who has ever had so much of my attention. her.”"

they brought out so many beautiful things in each other. you can feel the sense of comfort that they provide each other with through the pages. also, their spice scenes?! HOT DAMN. I love when hot people get together. I fully believed their chemistry and I am so glad that I didn't hate their age-gap. I do feel like it could have been mentioned a little less but overall, it didn't feel weird to me and the two of them are really just that unexpected couple that make so much sense.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — more favourite quotes

“jesus christ.” “my name is Brody, sweetheart. try to get it right next time.”

“for the ones still trying to figure everything out. you’re not behind. there’s so much time, and something even better is waiting for you on the other side.”

“because it’s not the economy that has you smiling like that. Spill”

“I hope this is the cure for your burnout because you’re so fucking beautiful on the ice”

“I’ve always been drawn to people who would burn the world down for me if given the chance”

“It’s going to go well. your triple dipper quadruple⁠—” “that’s an appetizer at Chili’s.”

[seeraaa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✎ᝰ. 2,75☆
“𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭.”



𝐼𝑐𝑒 𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑥 𝐺𝐶 ❤️

⚠️ First of all, make sure you download the full version of the book.

Honestly, there were many things I didn’t like about this book, which made it really hard for me to enjoy it. This is just my personal opinion, of course.

I didn’t like the age gap at all, and I wasn’t a fan of their relationship either—especially how it started. The idea that Brody had been crushing on Hannah for years was fine, but Hannah suddenly flirting with her brother’s coach? That felt… weird. There was barely any interaction between them, she knew he was grumpy, thought he disliked her—and yet she was the one who initiated everything. I was like… where did all this confidence come from? 🤣

I thought Lexi was the bold one, but Hannah completely closed that file 😅

The way Brody left Hannah at the beginning made me feel really sorry for her. And honestly, I didn’t feel that their relationship added anything meaningful to her figure skating journey. Training with Brody should have deepened her love and passion for skating, but instead—even after she said she started enjoying it again—she suddenly decided to retire, then just as suddenly decided to come back… without a clear explanation of how, why, or what changed. It all felt very rushed. This could have been explored so much better to add depth to their relationship instead of relying on so many spicy chapters, some of which felt strange—strip skating, for example, was just cringe to me 😬

Another thing: I really liked Hannah and Grant’s relationship at first. I genuinely thought they were close. But that turned out not to be true. Hannah opened up to Brody about her feelings and secrets almost immediately, yet she didn’t tell her own brother—despite the fact that she was sleeping with his coach. Meanwhile, Brody made sure to talk to his daughter (sorry, I forgot her name—headache 😭) because she’s important to him. Hannah didn’t even bother doing the same with Grant.

And I won’t even start on Hannah calling him “daddy.” I was close to gagging every single time 🤢. In real life, I absolutely hate how casually this term is used.

What I did like, though, was the friendship between Kali and Brody, and how they managed co-parenting their little daughter together—although I do find her a bit rude at times 🫣. I also loved Maverick and Emmy with their daughter, and I cannot wait for Ethan’s book—I’m desperate to know what he’s been going through 👀🔥
And oh… I’m very excited for the trouble Grant is definitely going to get into 😌🍿.

Overall, this book had some moments I enjoyed, but there were many things that didn’t work for me personally. ❤️🏒⛸️




Happy release day! 🏒❤️⛸️

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 4 stars

HUGE thank you to Chelsea Curto and Love Notes PR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Sin Bin is out now!

"The winning is great. Watching good hockey is a blast. But for the first time in my life, I want a partner to share all of that with.

And I want it to be her."

⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆
Well, well, well. Chelsea Curto has done it once again. She needs to run a class on how to write green flag MMCs and confident FMCs or something like that because literally every single book she puts out in this series is somehow even better than the last! Just when I think I have a favorite DC Stars character, she's like, "Well, here's a few more that I think you'll like," and then makes it even harder for me to choose.

Something of note before reading this book is that I'd say you HAVE to read Hat Trick before reading Sin Bin. I know Chelsea Curto has talked about this on her IG before, but in case you aren't caught up, the events of Hat Trick overlap with the first 20-30% or so (give or take about 5%) of Sin Bin. From what I saw, the events of the first few chapters of Sin Bin are the exact same as the first few chapters of Hat Trick, just from Brody and Hannah's perspectives rather than Riley and Lexi's. After that, the rest of Sin Bin takes place after the events of Hat Trick.

While the book can be read on its own, I highly recommend reading Hat Trick first so you're not completely lost on the events and for the immersive reading experience of getting to know Riley and Lexi a little more, considering they still make cameos in the book here and there (as well as the rest of the characters we've already met before in previous books).

Let's dive into the characters:

⋆𐙚❅ Hannah: I related to her character a lot, and I think she's going to take the cake for my new favorite DC Stars FMC! She struggles with burnout and falling out of love with the one thing that she's supposed to love the most: figure skating. I totally understand the feeling of feeling burnt out, as I'm sure many of us have at some point or another, whether it's with work or with school or anything else. I think the burnout hurts even more when it's something that you're extremely passionate about, and you're left wondering why you feel this way when you're supposed to be happy that this is what you love to do, and I felt her pain and related to that a lot. It's like once that light goes out for you, you're wondering what your next move is and what you can do to get that spark back, and I love how Brody helped her reconnect with her love for figure skating. At least for me, I found her so relatable because she's my age in the story (25), so it was easier to connect with her out of all of the DC Stars characters, only because the other FMCs in the series have all been older than me.

⋆𐙚❅ Brody: The entire book was basically a manual on how to be a good father. Brody is literally the best dad to his daughter, Olivia, and he's supportive of both Olivia and Hannah in their endeavors. Not to mention that his love language is acts of service? Like, he flies out to see Hannah compete in a skating competition? He buys her keychains to add to her collection in every city the DC Stars play in? His nickname may be Broody Brody, but it's clear that underneath the surface, he cares about all of his players and the people he loves deeply. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate how healthy his co-parenting relationship is with Kali?

I loved seeing the other characters make cameos in the series, as per usual, especially Maverick and Emmy. I'm glad all of them are doing well and thriving, but especially them because they're the OG couple in the series, and I'm so happy they got their happy ending🥹

The few things I took a star off for:

1. Hannah calling Brody "daddy:" Listen, I know that Hannah's doing it as a joke because it has a double entendre, but I physically cringed every time she said it. I know this is a personal thing and not so much a reflection on the writing because it's honestly very fitting with Hannah's character and her personality, but I just HATE that nickname in real life AND in books. I don't think there's a single book where I didn't have an issue with that nickname. It's just so cringy😭

2. I wish we got to see more interactions between Hannah and Grant. It's constantly alluded to that she and Grant have a super close sibling relationship, and I get it, both of them are busy since Grant's playing for the DC Stars and has his own stuff to worry about during the season. I wish we got to see more moments between them that reflected how close they are because it felt like a lot of the interactions we got between them were pretty surface-level and through the text messages they had with each other throughout the story.

3. While I don't mind spice in romance books (or lack of spice in romance books, I don't really care either way as long as the story is written well), I did feel like some of the spicy scenes felt out of place. I felt like some of it took away from exploring other topics like Hannah and Grant's relationship, Hannah falling back in love with skating or going more into how she started to fall out of love with it and leading her into the situation she's in during the events of the book, and seeing more moments with Olivia and Brody interacting and exploring more of their father-daughter relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed Sin Bin, and I can't believe we're almost at the end of the DC Stars series! I will warn you that Sin Bin ends on a cliffhanger for Cross Check, which is the next book in the series and I can't wait to see what's next for Ethan and Grant.👀
⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆.⛸️ ⋆𐙚❅🦌*°⋆❆
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (12/7/2025): I GOT THE ARC! I’m SO excited to start this and read Hannah and Brody’s story.

⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (9/10/2025): We’re getting FED by Chelsea Curto this year. The fact this isn’t even the only book she has left coming this year is absolutely insane to me! She’s one of my favorite indie authors and I’m so glad she’s getting recognized by more people and getting the flowers and recognition she deserves🥹💐

[naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆.” 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉, 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆.”

Coach Brody Saunders, everyone!!!! Book 5 ATEEEE 😌🍽️ I was giddy from page 1, and I knew I was gonna love every single second and I did 🙂‍↕️ This book follows our grumpy coach (who we all love at this point) and how he cannot stay away from a player’s sister. He definitely tries, but when her daughter needs an ice-skating coach and Hannah is the only one available… well, cue the forced proximity hehe aka it’s inevitable. ⛸️✨

“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚? 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏? 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

I’m sorry, but I will continue to scream at the top of my lungs about this series. Chelsea Curto will forever be one of my favorite authors she brings such beautiful stories that are combines in romance in such a unique way that I devour each and every single book.

“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉.”

This book in particular I adored their flirtiness, chemistry, and communication. Hannah is an outspoken woman who has zero problem saying what’s on her mind, which I totally look up to her. And don’t even get me started on Brody Saunders… he’s direct, a single dad, and an authority figure. Don't even get me started on ribbons, I cannot look at them the same again. HOT. PERIOD 🔥🎀

“𝑺𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆,” 𝑰 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒌. “𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.”

I definitely recommend reading the series in order, because by the time this book lands in your hands, you’ll be obsessed with Coach Brody and begging for his happy ending ❤️

Why then not the 5 stars? Well to be honest this question I can answer it simply that even though I devoured and adored every second.. I think compared to Hat Trick and Power Play (my top two) I needed more RAW emotion, but definitely a personal preference.

tropes
✨grumpy x sunshine
🏒age gap (14 years)
✨forbidden relationship
🏒single girl dad
✨friends to lovers
🏒one night stand

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ꪆৎ ˚⋅ am I dropping everything I am reading to start this bad boi, why yes I AM!!!!!

[aira · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was kind of cringey.

[daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve loved every other DC stars book but this felt so cringey. The dialogue was so unnatural, it felt like I as the reader was constantly trying to be taught a lesson instead of just being able to enjoy a spicy fun hockey romance. I think there’s good inclusivity in this series which is great & really important but now it’s to the point where every character is different in some way just to make sure that inclusivity is highlighted in the authors books, if that makes sense? It kinda feels like non genuine. It’s not subtle or touched on when they have deep conversations, it’s just blurted out at random points to make sure it’s in the book. I didn’t like this book had any plot at all, it started out with her not knowing what to do with her life then the plot just got lost.

I am so sad that i literally found myself cringing on nearly every page :( I love this series so much and I will continue but this just wasn’t it at all.

[Giulia ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Updated review: Apparently, I did in fact get a wrong digital copy of this book. Thanks @Katy for letting me know that my copy was missing 18 chapters + the epilogue!
Unfortunately, I still didn’t love this book. It was too spicy for my liking and, at times, it made me cringe. I loved the idea of talking about burnout, but, sadly, we didn’t experience the process of Hannah recovering from it how I would’ve wanted to do. I’m really excited for Grant’s book though!

———
Did I get an incomplete copy? I’m genuinely confused. This book felt like it was part of a duet, but I searched and apparently there won’t be any book two, it’s a standalone, so what’s going on?? Hannah and Brody are not even officially together in the last chapter and there is no epilogue… We don’t see Hannah competing, we don’t see Brody’s daughter competing, we don’t see any “I love you” moment, we don’t see Hannah’s brother’s reaction to their relationship, which leads to the fact that there is no true forbidden love element. This was my most anticipated release of December, so now I’m disappointed and sad

[madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆˙⟡ — 4 stars
⤷⊹ started: december 16th, finished: december 17th
𐙚 spoiler-free review ♡

thank you so much to my bestie har for reading this with me!! 💌 i love being able to read about my favorite group of friends with you!! ILYY🥹💗

♡ ⋆｡˚ thoughts
i don’t think you guys understand how much i love chelsea and the men and women she writes 😩 every single one is HOT 🤭 i loved slap shot, which has the single mom trope, and chelsea did an AMAZING job with it, so ofc i knew her single dad book was going to be just as good 😌 omg and don’t get me started on the found family 😭 i swear i LOVE seeing the characters from previous books and getting to see how everything is going with their relationships 🥹

♡ ⋆｡˚ characters

♡ ⋆｡˚ hannah everett
there’s something about the women in this series because i’ve loved every single one. i loved everything about hannah and i loved reading about her story. i’ve always loved when the fmc does figure skating, so i already knew i was going to adore her. i just loved how real she felt yk?? like UGH i need more of her 😩

♡ ⋆｡˚ brody saunders
you guys know that picture of sabrina at the grammys… yeah that’s literally how i felt reading about this man 😩 like why is every man in this series so hot?! i LOVED how obsessed he was with hannah because wdym he booked a flight across the country just because she was sad?! need that. omg and then him and his daughter were so cute. you guys don’t understand how much i love girl dads 🥹 i loved how he always wanted the best for her no matter what 😌

♡ ⋆｡˚ hannah + brody
oh their chemistry was on FIRE 😩 the second they met i knew they were going to be everything. like genuinely these two are the perfect match. every time they interacted i was always giggling and kicking my feet because of how cute they were?!

♡ ⋆｡˚ final thoughts
i can’t wait for the next book to come out because i just know it’s going to be just as good as the other books in this series 🤭 if you haven’t picked up one of chelsea’s books yet, please take this as your sign to finally read one!!

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ i got the arc for this last week and i’m so excited to finally start it 😌 everything chelsea posted on insta had me giggling 🤭 and ofc i’m reading this with my bestie har!! i love you sooo much and i can’t wait to yap about hannah and brody with you 💐

thank you SO MUCH chelsea curto and love notes pr for the arc ♡

[lucialeelibros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why won’t Goodreads give me the update I need so I can rate this book with INFINITE STARS? WHY. GOD.

First of all, a HUGE thank you to Love Notes PR for making me happy once again and for letting me be, for the third time, part of Chelsea Curto’s ARC team. And of course, to my beloved author herself: THANK YOU. I don’t even know what else to say, but… thank you for creating this magnificent world and for letting me be one of the thousands who read you with pure devotion.

Now, where do I even begin? I’ve been waiting for this book since May when we read Hat Trick, and I honestly didn’t think the day would come. But here we are. And I’m sorry, Liam, but Brody Saunders is officially my #1. I love older men, and if they’re MUCH older? Even better. Delicious, honestly. This story is insanely good. INSANELY. I want to put this book on the highest pedestal in my entire bookshelf. Anyway, let’s get into it, because this review is about to be VERY long.

What can you expect from this book?
🏒Age gap (13 years, and they’re in totally different life stages; plus the story overlaps with Hat Trick).
🏒Skating lessons.
🏒Coaching moments.
🏒Forbidden romance.
🏒 Found family.
🏒Banter.
🏒Funny chats.
🏒GRUMPY x SUNSHINE.
And probably a bunch of micro-tropes hidden in there, but discovering them while reading is half the fun.

Now, onto the story.

Brody and Hannah are a whole storm. When you see the cover and read “grumpy x sunshine,” you expect a shy, embarrassed heroine and a big macho man who dominates everything especially being the older one. But… that’s not what we get here. It’s actually kind of the opposite. This is probably Chelsea’s spiciest book so far. The one that gave me the most tension. The one that made me feel the most heat, because yes… Coach Saunders may not talk much, but in bed? THAT. MOUTH.

Brody Saunders is a single father to a 13-year-old who dreams of becoming a figure skater. Suddenly her coach is gone and she’s in a tight spot until one of the DC Stars players offers his beloved sister to step in and help… a sister Brody apparently “kind of knows from afar.” Sure. Right. *Wink wink.* Brody is a lonely man. His life is two things: his daughter and hockey. A past injury forced him off the ice and turned him into one of the youngest and most well-known coaches in the league. He loves his daughter, loves hockey, and has no time for anything else… until a bold, tall, stunning blonde walks in and starts messing with his entire life: Hannah Everett.

Hannah is vibrant, joyful, and full of potential as a professional skater. But like all of us, sometimes loving something doesn’t stop burnout. Life forces you to pause. To step back. To figure out what’s next. And that doesn’t mean she can’t have fun especially if that fun comes in the shape of a MUCH older man. She loves her family, her friends, and is trying to reconnect with her passion, so she agrees to coach Liv. And between all the skating sessions, the jokes, the tension, the unexpected soft moments… those lines they drew between them (because yes, there’s a past) start to blur. And there’s nothing left to do but face the thing they’ve both been avoiding: us.

Hannah and Brody are officially my #1 Chelsea Curto couple of all time. There is no universe in which I can fully express how MUCH I loved reading this book. So I’ll just leave the following in a spoiler. DO NOT READ: WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, GRANT EVERETT, AND HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT MONTHS TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR OLDER WOMAN???

RATING:
♾️⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4/5 SPICE.

Thanks for reading my review. Love you, Chelsea.

[lilly ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

: ̗̀➛ started on 1/15/26
: ̗̀➛ finished on 1/17/26

umm ... take back what i said about chelsea becoming one of my favorite authors.

this one felt so bland to me. i was really excited to read this but it ended up as a huge disappointment.

first off, i felt like we had no time to actually explore the characters and who they are by themselves instead of a couple. they start off by having a one night stand than it time jumps to sixteen months later, then they quickly become involved in each others lives again and start sleeping together ?

one of the “main” points of the book was hannah, our fmc, dealing with burn out from figure skating her whole life. we only focused on it for a few chapters before we just saw the aftermath and suddenly she loved skating again. i would have preferred if we spent less time with them as a couple and more reflecting on hannah.

from 45 ish percent to the rest of the book is just them being together. no third act conflict. no arguments. no disagreements. nothing. now, i normally hate a third act breakup but i felt like i needed something. i didn't feel emotionally attached to the characters at all, and while i did love the found family in this book that's pretty much all i loved. i did really enjoy the first 15-20 ish percent but then it went downhill for me 😕

overall, i'm really sad this didn't deliver like i hoped so! none the less, i'm still super excited for the next book because grant is turning out to seem like such a good character.

--

while i've never had a 5 star read by chelsea curto, she's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. i know her books arent always the most emotional but i have so much fun with them and i'm so excited to read this one!

[bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brody & Hannah, my beloveds 😭

[har. (catching up!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

┆ ⤿ 🫧 ⌗ started: december 16, finished: december 17

4 stars 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹
⤿ mini review!

“how long have i felt like i’ve been searching for the sun, only for it to be right in front of me the whole time?"

i got my first EVER arc and it's for my fave series?! screaming on top of my lungs 🤭🌟 read this with my love mads 💝

ⓘ thank you sm to lovenotes pr & chelsea for the arc!

tropes: ⋆˚࿔
.ᐟ sports romance
.ᐟ found family
.ᐟ single dad
.ᐟ age gap romance

thoughts: ⋆˚࿔
brody saunders the man that you are. i cannot stop thinking about this man. he literally booked a flight across the country for ONE night just to be with her because she was sad… faked being sick and left his hockey game to make it to her competition??? no because he doesn’t just like her, he worships her.

also the single dad trope in this, i was giggling every time brody was with his daughter. he was so soft with her and you can tell he raised her right. like actually one of the best dads ever.

brody and hannah were perfect. their chemistry from the moment they met was insane and my god were they HOT. but i also loved hannah’s storyline, her burnout and trying to figure out her life beyond skating felt so real.

and this series, actually everything to me. the found family is one of my all time favorites and i’m so emotionally attached to these characters it’s not even funny. i literally cried so many times just seeing everyone’s lives and relationships continue. ESPECIALLY MAVERICKS!!

[margot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

"what else do you want, baby? the moon? i'll bring it out of the fucking sky for you."

overview---౨ৎ

the story starts right off the bat- when brody saunders, coach of the dc stars, and hannah everett, sister to one of brody's players, have a one night stand. a tragic accident happens, and brody is forced to leave hannah. they don't see each other for sixteen months, and then hannah experiences one of the main themes in 'sin bin': burnout. she needs to find a way to fall in love with skating again, it being a sport that's been in her life for so long. conveniently, brody's daughter liv is in need of a figure skating coach, so brody asks hannah if she'll coach her. agreeing, hannah also strikes another deal with brody: he has to spend time with her on the ice, helping her rediscover her love for skating. what starts off as a platonic friendship very soon turns into more, and soon they both have to decide if becoming something more is worth the risk of scrunity from the media, family, and friends.

thoughts---౨ৎ

HANNAH, MY SWEET ANGEL. battling burnout against a sport that's a dear part of your life is something i can't even begin to imagine. my girl chelsea loves women and it shows. all of the girls in this series are confident and sure of themselves in all aspects of their lives, and personally this is super empowering to see. how chelsea continues to write these badass characters is beyond me. and i absolutely love it.

broody brody oh my 🤭 he's not my favourite dc stars man in the series, that's for sure (grant will forever be no.1) but the yearning? his attention to detail? this man's love language is acts of service and it SHOWS. the keychains.... no STOP i was grinninggg.

brochacho also has tats, wears a cap backwards, glasses, and is tall. bye.

i can't write a review for a book in this series without mentioning how much i ADORE the found family. getting glimpses of past couples, seeing them all together at dinners and hockey games. every book, i manage to fall more and more in love with the silly little group of hockey players and their loved ones. i could seriously read thousands of bonus scenes and never got bored 💘

the love that hannah and brody felt for each other was clearly evident at the end. get yourself a man who constantly supports you through your ups and downs #goals

now onto my critiques.... because there were a few.

first of all, this was very instalusty. chapter two and they're already slapping cheeks. i appreciate how later on their emotional connection was set up in a way that didn't feel rushed, but i hated how the only reason they got together at first was because they found each other attractive.

second of all, hannah is bi, which at first i was so excited for the rep. but then it was.... hardly brought up in the story? maybe about... two times? this is a massive pet peeve of mine, where authors try to be quirky and add lgbtq+ characters, just to seem like they are being inclusive. but then it's hardly every brought up. remember mor from acotar and how sjm made her bi because all of her characters were straight? yeah exactly. i would have LOVED to dive more into hannah's sexuality, but it was hardly every brought up. bruh.

third of all, one of the things i was most excited about for 'sin bin' was to see the sibling relationship between hannah and grant. the catchups, the text messages- i wanted it all. and we got... stuff for sure. a few hangouts, but nothing too deep, which sucked. also, and i can't remember which book it was in (slap shot? hat trick?) but it's mentioned that grant's (and therefore hannah's) mum walked out the door and left the family while they were kids. this could have brought so much more depth to the story, but instead it wasn't mentioned. at all.

WHEN SHE CALLED HIM DADDY IT WAS SO CRINGE GOOD BYE. i remember cringe-laughing when the mmc himself said: "who knew under those cute skirts and ribbons you like to wear was someone who just needed daddy to take care of them." IT'S GIVING ALPHA MALE POSSESIVE ASS AHH 👺 i mean it was during spicy time but still.....

there were also quite a few grammatical errors, but that's none of my business.

i will say, 'sin bin' was FILLED with crumbs for the next book (aka grant's) which i am SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR 💕

dc stars ranking:
1. slap shot
2. hat trick
3. face off
4. sin bin
5. power play

we'll seen soon where cross check and weak side lie 🤭🎀

(also let's ignore the fact it took me so long to read this because a: i stupidly started this in the christmas season and b, i can be a slow reader at times.)

quotes--- ౨ৎ

'he ties his laces and spins his hat so it's facing forward, and i decide he's one of those men who looks good no matter which way he wears a cap. how unfair to the rest of the population.' LMAO girl i getchu 😭

"and while i hope this is the cure for your burnout because you're so fucking beautiful on the ice, i also know i'm going to be so proud of you no matter how you're story ends."

"this year is going to be your year ice queen, and i can't wait to watch you shine."

'it makes it feel like this relationship is something that exists outside the bedroom too, and when i made her pancakes this morning, dodging the spatula of batter she tried to lodge at my face, i laughed for twn minutes straight. easy.'

'tomorrow i'm going out to buy a bottle for her to keep here. i'll buy a thousand bottles if it means she's still around.' let's normalise this being the bare minimum okay chat 💋

"i'd say i like you too," she murmurs, bringing her mouth to mine. "what a lucky, lucky girl i am." clock it.

"because you make me happy. because no one else has ever made me feel this way. because i miss you when you're not around."

-------

I GOT THE ARC LET'S GO!!

thank you to chelsea curto and love notes PR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! sin bin will be out on december 8th, 2025 💘💫

---------

you can bet i'm going to be insufferable when this comes out 🏃‍♀️‍➡️🏃‍♀️‍➡️

[Emma.catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For the ones still trying to figure everything out. You’re not behind. There’s so much time, and something even better is waiting for you on the other side."

5 books in and I am still hooked 🙇🏻‍♀️ Honestly, I had NO idea what to expect from this book. Initially I wasn’t that bothered about reading Brody’s story. Then I began reading. Instantly sucked Chelsea’s gold standard dual POV narrative, I was won over once again.

Chelsea, you've done it yet again. You never cease to amaze me by the depth and breadth of your content. You never miss or disappoint, and alway deliver 👏🏽

It all starts on one terrible, tragic night. The night that kick started book 4, aka the night of Riley’s accident 💔 This coincidentally happened to be the night that NHL coach, Brody Saunders had a one night stand with Hannah Everett, a world champion figure skater. She also happens to be Grant’s (one of the players) younger sister. Daunt. Daunt. Daunt.

16 months later: they are both still thinking about that night. Hannah is suffering from burnout, realising she needs help to find her love of skating again. Meanwhile, Brody is searching for a figure skating coach for his daughter. And so, a mutual agreement is made - Hannah to coach Brody's daughter, while Brody coaches her in skating basics to reignite her love of skating.

I spy forced proximity 👀

As they spend more time on and off the ice a connection starts to grow, tension rises. Falling for a girl fourteen years younger than him isn't part of Brody's plan, but can he stay out of the sin bin when the world finally learns about their relationship? 🧐

Up until now, Brody has been a somewhat quiet character, always there, but in the background. He intruding me. Initially, he comes across as a grumpy, detached man but, as we get to know him it is obvious this isn’t always the case. Throughout the book we see him opening up, becoming happier and more involved in the personal lives of his team members. He made still be a broody man, but around Hannah and his daughter, he can’t help but smile ☺️ There is something extra special about the fact this side of him is reserved for his loved ones. Furthermore, I had NO IDEA how incredibly kind this man was - acts of service is 100% his love language. He cares so deeply for Hannah, but it was also very heartwarming to see how special his daughter is to him.

Hannah is our FMC in this book. She is a completely new character to us, and honestly, it took me a few chapters to warm up to her. I didn’t relate to her as much as some of the other characters however, I did grow very found of her and was fully onboard with their relationship. She is somewhat like Lexi - strong, fiercely independent, and determined. I admired her for not pushing herself beyond her limits, instead putting her mental health first.

This relationship was a 5 🌟 dynamic. There was no doubt in my mind that these two were perfect for each other. From the very beginning, something just FELT right about the chemistry between them and I love how Chelsea grew their relationship so organically. Compared with some of the other books in this series, these two seemed to be consistently on the same page regarding the status of their relationship. One did not fall before the other. Nor did one feel more than the other. They were the perfect match 👌🏽

One of my favourite things about this book was seeing the all of relationships between the characters. I had really come to know and love them in the previous books and this was like a special edition preview into their future 🤩 It was so wholesome and heartwarming seeing how they had all developed over the years, yet they stayed true to each other. A solid family unit.

Furthermore, I love how Brody is recognised for all that he has done for the team. They are all good guys, and that kind of camaraderie comes from the ground up. So, here’s to Brody Saunders - the best coach in NHL 👏🏽 and, most importantly, the best dad you could wish for 💖 ✨

“You did all of this, Brody. This camaraderie. This love. It doesn’t happen everywhere, but when it does, it’s magic.” ✨

I am so sad to have come to the end of this EPIC series. I have had so much fun getting to know this gang and I know they will stay with me. This is without a doubt one of my favourite sports romance series’ and I am thankful that it isn’t totally over yet - 2 more books are in the running 🙇🏻‍♀️

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

[EM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted my first book in 2026 to be a light-hearted one. Nothing overly complicated because it’s gonna be a long hectic week at work and all I want is to decompress and read quietly at night.

Giving a 3.5 ⭐️ rating for Sin Bin. This book paled in comparison to Hat Trick. I guess my expectations were a little too high after Riley’s book. There were hardly surprises, and the single dad + age gap plot were underwhelming.

But I will continue with this series because I like the fact that Chelsea Curto's mmcs are not the typical reformed playboys. Many other authors have exploited that particular stereotype too much in this genre, and it does wear down the novelty. Looking forward to meeting Grant and Ethan next!

[Cristiana · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to sleep on it, but after revisiting my highlights, this is for sure a 5 star 🤩😍 my fave of the series so far! I can’t explain it, broody brody is just unmatched in every possible way soooo

[Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ .4 🌟 rtc


--
⤿Pre-Read:
JUST THE BOOK I HAVE BEEN WANTINF TO GET TO YESSSS AGAHQH 🤭

[marts ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’ve always enjoyed this series but i think you can tell that this book was rushed. the story didn’t click completely and i just didn’t enjoyed it as much.

i also think there are inconsistencies in the timeline compared to hat trick? like brody flying out to hannah happens later here than in hat trick based on riley’s story? i haven’t seen anyone else talking about it so i’m not sure.

hopefully next book will be better!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

STOPPPP this was soooooo cute but i need grants book now

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I biblically need Brody Saunders at this point.

He was the perfect single grump daddy with the filthiest mouth ever!! I fear he has set the standard so high for the rest of the mmc’s in this series. Like this man booked a flight for her because she was lonely and missing him, he didn’t miss her first competion back, collects keychains for her and ohh yeahhh he crawls for her. This man worships the ground Hannah walks on, I just can’t!! It is sickening how much I love this man!! And he happens to be like the best dad ever. I will never shut up about him!!

“Peace. That’s the way to describe what it’s like to have her in my arms. The outside noises, the responsibilities, the list of things I need to accomplish tomorrow - everything else on my plate disappears. It narrows down to a single thing, the only woman who has ever had so much of my attention. Her.” … SCREAMING!!

Hannah, loveeeee her!! It’s so refreshing to see a fmc who knows what she wants and takes it. Her and Brody were so perfect together!! Their chemistry was just oozing from when they first met!! And the spice, bye, they were soooo HOT!!!
I can yap about them for days!!

Idk how Chelsea does it , but each book just keeps getting better!! I’m so obsessed with the found family and every single character. Like I can’t help, but tear up when I think about all of them because that’s just how attached I am to them and this series 😭 i also love how Chelsea writes strong , powerful , independent woman who go after they’re dreams and don’t settle for the norm society tries to shove us in. This will forever by my top god tier hockey romance series!! 😭

I’m counting the days for Grant’s book!!

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm I am devastated to report that this is my least favourite DC Stars book 😞 I was so so excited for this one, I loved Brody in the previous books and I wanted to get to know him more!

This just felt really rushed to me - the first meeting between Brody and Hannah honestly just felt so bizarre and stilted and gave me the ick. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and didn’t believe in their relationship at all. It felt like such a random pairing?

I absolutely HATED the spice scenes, every time the word “Daddy” appeared on the page I physically cringed.

The thing that saved the book for me was the rest of the team - Chelsea Curto just creates such immaculate found family vibes and I loved seeing the team again. I love the way she writes dialogue and banter, and I’m so glad we still got the group texts in this one too!

I’m still obsessed with this series, it’s still god-tier for me but this one just wasn’t it. I’m really excited for the next books though after the sprinklings of Ethan and Grant we got in this book!

Thank you so much to LoveNotes PR for the advanced reader copy!

[Ala 🫶🏻 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25

there were good ideas but the execution was poor

i don’t hate this book, but the problems i had with this book are very prevalent in this series. i feel like the author doesn’t really know how to convey emotions without making characters say it out loud. because of that brody’s and hannah’s conversations felt like therapy session where they are very aware of their feelings. it was weird and unnatural. literally the first few chapters hannah is telling brody that she’s feeling burnt out and doesn’t want to skate anymore and she’s also suddenly confessing she’s bisexual. you don’t even say those things to your own brother (there is an explanation but it’s really weak to me) but you’re confessing all your problems and your life story to a man you don’t really know and with whom you only plan to sleep with.

i hoped we would get more insight into hannah’s burn out and in general her attitude to figure skating. instead of showing us at the beginning of the book how she struggles with skating we are being told by hannah she doesn’t enjoy skating. and it’s a constant problem. training with olivia is shown like twice and then it’s stopped in order to include more sex scenes. training with brody is dealt with similarly. we got a few lessons but then we got an equivalent of poker on ice 🙄

their whole relationship felt cringe and too sweet. i felt like the majority of their interactions ended in bed which is why i didn’t believe in their feelings cause how do you fall in love with each other when all the time you’re ending up in bed and your conversations sound robotic.

[ohna · Rating 1 out of 5]

the art of subtlety is lost to chelsea curto, i am afraid.


also i should mention i don’t think this author can write kids. i have attempted to read two books by her with the single parent trope and i haven’t felt connected to the kids at all.this isn’t usually something that happens i get annoyed by the kid or like the kid in her case i just forgot the kid existed.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

shut up i loved them so much 😭

chelsea curto the woman you are!!!

[Muffinsandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, she did it agin : je suis de nouveau tombée amoureuse d'un mec fictif et de la meuf hyper badass et très inspirante pour qui il crush FORT.
Vous savez ce que je vais dire : y a clairement trop de smut dans cette saga et oui, j'ai trouvé que le début de la relation entre les deux était un peu trop "facile" ? Mais entre le found family dans l'équipe, les thèmes abordés et tous les green flags de la relation, je pourrais tomber dans les pommes tellement ça me rend heureuse de lire ça. Vraiment, cette saga, je l'aime, je l'aime, je l'aiiiiiiime. J'ai si hâte d'avoir la suite !!!!! Et qu'est-ce que je vais faire de ma vie quand ça sera fini ???? Il ne reste plus que deux tomes... j'ai peur. J'ai hâte, mais j'ai peur.