Big Stick Energy

by Ginny Sterling

She swore never to fall for him again. He’s determined to make sure she does.

Nettie thought a wild, harmless flirtation was all in fun... until she came face-to-face with Tate her best friend’s brother and the angry, bitter hockey player who broke her heart years ago.

Tate isn’t here to make friends—he’s here to win. As the Coyotes’ newest enforcer, he thrives on grit and confrontation, channeling his temper into every brutal fight on the ice. Teamwork and relationships are out of the question… or are they?
Neither of them can deny something is different now.

The sparks – there.
The chemistry – simmering.
The energy – off the charts.

What happens when fate decides to teach them both a lesson—or two—about love?

***

Big Stick Energy is perfect for fans who love hockey romances with all the slow-burn feels, swoony second-chances, or enemies-to-lovers stories that heat up the rink—and warm the heart.

Genres: Hockey, Sports Romance, Romance, Hockey Romance, Sports

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2025

About the author

Ginny Sterling is an avid romance writer. She lives to tell sweet, inspirational, tender tales that tug at the heart, leaving the reader smiling, laughing, or crying. Her book series include many titles such as FLYBOYS, Healing Hearts, Flirt’s Battalion, Reserve Ranch, Hotshots, and more.

Each book written is sure to be an adventure, bringing laughter and love to your heart!

https://linktr.ee/ginny_sterling

Reviews

[Abby Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one so much! Tate & Nettie have a slow burn filled with history, both humor and hurt. I absolutely loved watching Tate better himself through the book- 10/10 for that! I really liked the two of them together, such a great fit! So good to be back with the Coyotes!

[Lindsey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️

If you have not read anything by Ginny Sterling yet, this is the perfect book to introduce yourself to her writing. This closed door romance brings all the tension, yearning, and brooding romance readers love to see in the books they read. Ginny takes her readers on a beautiful journey of two hearts finding each other again and navigating the feelings they have for one another. A slow burn in the finest form, I was invested in the characters immediately and root for their happiness.

Tate and Nettie are no strangers to each other. Having known each other through Tate’s sister, they took a chance and it left Nettie with a broken heart. When they run into each other again, it is obvious there are still sparks, but understandably Nettie is careful and keeps her distance. As the story unfolds, we find out that Tate has been in therapy (yes to supporting men in therapy, to supporting everyone in therapy) and wants to show Nettie he has changed.

The growth that both our MCs go through is inspiring. As they grow closer to each other, Ginny shows the strength it takes to ask for help and trust those people, while simultaneously growing each character individually. This led to moments of pure swooning, as Netting learned to let Tate back in and Tate stepped out of his comfort zone to prove to Nettie she is important to him. I soaked up every moment of them together.

Ginny writes a wonderful story with amazing characters. I loved that our MCs get a second chance, the reminder that people can change for the better, and that love always wins when it’s the right person. I know that Tate is advertised as a grump, but I think he was just closed off and once that door was open the true Tate was able to come out, which is not a grump. He is loyal and caring. Everything that Nettie wants. Overall, this is the perfect book to start off 2026 with!

As always, review any author notes before reading.

What to Expect:
🏒Hockey Romance
🧶Enemies to Lovers
🏒Childhood Crush to More
🧶Second Chance Romance
🏒Cute Cat
🧶He Takes Care of Her
🏒Closed Door Romance

[HEATHER · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG Ginny!! You never disappoint with broody men! Tate is one feisty and broody hockey player. He will keep you on your toes throughout this book. Nettie is a sweet daycare worker who loves to knit in her spare time. Tate & Nettie will take you on a slow burn romance that is worth the wait! Oh and you will also get to fall in love with Mulligan the cat!

Tate is Nettie's best friend Gina's brother. Nettie always had a thing for Tate and one day he broke her heart. Now Nellie comes face to face with Tate again and doesn't want him to break her heart again. But this broody hockey player must get his life together. He starts therapy and the therapist tells him to get a cat. Well when he gets Mulligan he's a little feisty like Tate. You can't help but fall in love with Mulligan. Mulligan will start peeling some of Tate's layers. As he slowly starts spending more time with Nellie she will also help peel more layers.

When the girls were out and they found out Tate got a cat: "It's nothing." Nettie insisted quickly, shifting the spotlight. "Why would you say the end of the world is upon us?" Gina's lips curled into a sly smile. "Because Tate got a cat" "To Eat?" Shannon gasped horrified. LOL 😂 😆

Nellie is just the sweetest and I loved her friendship she has with Shannon and Gina. Now that Tate is back she will have to deal with this broody man who doesn't seem to want to leave her alone. After yelling at her one night his sister Gina tells him to do something nice for her. After he does these two slowly and I mean slowly start to build a friendship. These two will have a lot of banter and bickering between them but it's so much fun!

These two have great chemistry and will have you laughing, swooning, and smiling throughout the entire book. You will also be left with a beautiful ending that will leave you with a big smile! I can't wait to see what's next in this series! I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Thank you Ginny Sterling for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not help but hum (or sing) Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) by the Backstreet Boys every time Nettie and Tate were in the same room, even in the vicinity of each other. Oil and water, fire and ice, grumpy and sunshine - you name anything polar opposite and that would go along with these two. Yet their sparking chemistry and banter with one another (even when they were making the other one feel small) was enough to start a lightning storm. They were meant to be together. They just had to get out of their own way.

If you are looking for the usual quick romance that you get with this author, you are going to be surprised because this is a slow burn, long book, and it was magnificent and magical. The dance between Nettie and Tate is a long one, but it will be worth it.

I swooned and laughed a lot. Tate and his cat, Mulligan, provided the most entertainment for me as I envisioned this giant, broody, grouchy man melt into a puddle every time that sweet cat purred. There are plenty of wonderful scenes, actually too many to even address. But trust me when I say this book is out of this world, and checks all my boxes for a good romantic comedy, with a little drama mixed in. My heart was in a little puddle after I finished reading it.

Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[greenapplemojito · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am surprised that I didn't kill the MMC in my head. Ginny's writing was good, but since I hated the MMC and his attitude and personality from the bottom of my heart, this book was not for me. I have never hated an MMC so much. I have read a fair share of grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, and one/two romantasy books that had bullies-to-lovers. This was definitely not enemies to lovers. The MMC was an absolute a-hole and a borderline bully. I was more confused than the MCs about their labels - the back and forth of them confused what their labels are/ what they called each other while claiming otherwise. The way the MMC belittled people, talked about the FMC- I am sorry, there is no absolute way I liked him even an ounce. There was even a point where I was thinking, okay, he might be manageable now, he is becoming better. Nope, same ol' same ol'. Oh, and the chemistry, spark, and attraction between the MCs - they were completely missing, and especially given how the MMC was treating her or used to belittle her, I just could not believe one bit that they were in love or lusted for one another or had a long harbored crush. Also, things were a bit too rushed, especially given that the two were as confused as me about what they were.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted by the opposites-attract in this best friend's older brother read. Nettie was unapologetically herself -- a caring daycare teacher with a love of knitting and attempting to find herself after the loss of her grandmother. Her crush on her best friend Gina's older brother Tate was an embarrassing moment from the past she thought she'd left behind. Tate was grumpy, distant, and snaps at everyone, even charming Nettie.

Tate and Nettie's meeting again on the road was hilarious, and I loved that we got to see the characters transform individually and as a couple throughout the story. It's a slow burn that reminds us to be patient, to ask for and accept help (including therapy), put in time for things we care about, and to fight for love. And Mulligan is just the best cat and was a great way to force character transformations and reveal who Tate was underneath. This is a closed door romance but had so much heat build up 🔥 The ending was precious and sweet 💕

Thanks to Ginny Sterling for this ARC copy!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Tate's character development and it was refreshing to see a character go to therapy to better themselves.

I loved watching Tate's little sweet actions as he opened up to Nettie, like leaving yarn and food at her door, and bringing stuffed animals for her daycare kids.

I'm usually indifferent towards grumpy x sunshine but I actually really enjoyed this one. I liked how Tate was soft for Nettie even before they started dating and how Nettie was fiesty around Tate.

I have to admit, the refusal to use any cuss words, including 'damn' really took me out of the story at times. These characters were grown adults but they kept saying 'dang it' during serious moments.

I didn't like the abrupt change after they got together. Tate seemed to get completely in control of his anger, and there was no banter between him and Nettie anymore because they were overly obsessed with each other as soon as they started dating.

[Ella Noellee · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5

~ ARC review ~
This was so sweet! I really enjoyed reading about Nettie and Tate🥰
The character growth he went through was really good and he was so so sweet with Nettie🥹
I also loved seeing Natties friendship with Shannon and Gina🥰💖
There was some weird innuendo I wasn’t the most comfortable with but it wasn’t much.
Overall this was a sweet book 💖

tropes:
💜no-spice hockey romance
🧶daycare worker FMC
💜cute cat
🧶she teaches him to knit
💜sweet MMC
🧶character growth
💜second chance
🧶third person
💜dual pov

CONTENT:
- kisses only (closed door but it did have some innuendo)
- no language

Thank you Ginny for this ARC copy of the book!🥰

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first full length book I read by this author and I loved it from the beginning. You have a true grumpy mmc but he turns into a golden retriever when he is with Nettie. She is his sisters best friend but things changed as they grew up. This was a right person wrong time but everything comes full cycle with a happy ending at the end .
She had loved him but then told him she like him when they were teens but he rejected her and broke her heart .
He went off to play hockey and she got her degree and works with kids as she always wanted .
Now he is back and she isn’t sure what to do.
I loved the banter in this book. He is very protective but he is not overbearing. He sees a therapist to help him deal with his emotions and finds a kitten that melts his frozen heart .
The fall was wonderful and you see them grow throughout the book .

[MacKenzie Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good grump! While I don’t think Tate is a true grump (he just doesn’t know what to do with feelings and it makes him seem grumpy) he still counts. I am also so proud of Nettie for standing up for herself as much as she does. Maybe it’s because it’s Tate and she feels comfortable with him, but she doesn’t let herself be treated badly by his moods. I love how Tate’s team is a family and while he may have been the moody one of the group, they still had his back. Also Mulligan is an absolute doll and I need to cuddle him.
This is a dual pov, closed door romance. It follows many of the hockey books Ginny has written but can be read as a stand alone novel.

[Sasha Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sticks & Cujo - Can they overcome it all?

The energy pouring out from both MCs is overwhelming at times and until you understand the full scope of their story, confusing even. Will they or won’t they figure out their future, can they overcome their past?

I love that we get to return to the Coyotes Hockey Team, it definitely felt like that universe needed more of Ginny’s whimsy. I look forward to Justin and Dominic’s tales.

FYI - Tate gives off some serious Selkirk (Healing Hearts - Remember Always) vibes, thanks for that Ginny!!!

[Debbie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the Coyotes team and players in the Pucks & Promises series and I was so excited to see them back again in this book! It was definitely a lot of fun seeing what everyone is up to now.

The best friend’s brother trope is one of my favorites, and Nettie and Tate are great together! All the witty banter between them had me laughing out loud throughout the story. The change in Tate, from the broody hockey player at the beginning to the hopeless romantic at the end, had me cheering for him the whole time. Nettie is so sweet and they definitely deserve their happily ever after!

[Roberta aka Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first Tate and Nettie were so drastically different I didn't see how they could ever end up together.

But then Tate bent... just a little. And Nettie stopped fighting him off... just a little. Then slowly - oh so slowly - they came together as soulmates.

The wedding was unique, but perfect for Tate and Nettie's personalities. And you'll want to read about the butterfly...

I was given an ARC of this story but all thoughts and comments are mine, given voluntarily.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story that wouldn’t let go

I started reading this on New Year’s Eve night, and if I weren’t thoroughly exhausted from the holidays, I would’ve stayed up all night reading it. It’s a fun romance, but it’s also a book that has made me ponder life and the choices we make. It’s simultaneously fun and shallow and surprisingly deep at the same time. I also wish Mulligan were real. Looking forward to more books with some of the same characters.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a story where the FMC has been in love with her best friend’s brother. Nettie has been Gina’s friend for ages and her brother Tate has always been in the back of Nettie’s mind. When he left for college he was nasty to her and she has lived with his cruel words and he has lived with guilt. He is now back in town on the hockey team and he is not going to let Nettie go. Lots of emotional growth and happenings in this one!

[Lynn Hyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming of Age

Nettie loved Tate as a teenager, but her crush was crushed by him. Fast forward years, and they're now in close proximity again, but things aren't sweet or even kind. He's always angry, and she doesn't want her heart crushed again. Life events and his sister, Nettie's best friend, intervene, and the romance and changes in both of them are swoon-worthy. I love the team, the cat, the therapist - all of it! Great story!

[Casey Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad this was one of the last books of the year for me. Ginny hit it out of the park. The main characters were great apart but together the fireworks were a grand explosion! The dual povs really drew me in and gave space for each character to really come alive. The pacing was perfect and even though it was a slow burn, it wasn’t too slow. I truly cannot think of one thing that I disliked

[Kayla H | Mom Devours Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious! I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Nettie is sweet, and Tate is broody. This is a wonderful combination and makes for a delightful slow-burn romance.

Thank you, Ginny, for this ARC. The opinions are my own.

[Dina Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super grumpy grump! Loved it!

I loved how grumpy, broody, and bossy Tate was! When he tells her to buckle up, hilarious!! Also loved his flirty innuendo! Nettie was so gentle and sweet. Loved how they worked it all out! Terrific character growth for both of them!

[Nancy Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! What's read.

I just love this read of Tate and Nettie's journey to their happy everafter. It had some ups and downs and some growth on both sides. The storyline is fantastic and amazing along with realistic characters you will just love. It is a page turner read.

[CassInTheStacks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title is a little misleading...

I thought this would be a spicy romance by the title. It is not. It's a very slow burn closed door. The storyline was good, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I couldn't really get invested because it was too slow for me.

[Anna Deschenes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the overarching story, but the pacing was weird. There were also several inconsistencies in the story, or places where things may have been edited and not fully updated, making things seem out of order.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Estaba mejor cuando Tate no sentía nada por Nettie (en el pasado), ya que ella tenía 14 años y él 18. Ella estaba enamorada de él y se le declaró antes de que él se fuera a la universidad, pero la rechazó. Después se cambio la versión de esto y quedó como que a él también le gustaba.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do childhood crushes last?

[Catey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! The story was just what I was in the mood for! The tension in this book was so good! And I loved the banter between the main couple so much!

[Elena P · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Allison D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my word

I do believe this is the best book I have read by Ginny Sterling. It touches on many parts of life that shape who we are as people. I did not want to put it down.

[Sara Pica · Rating 3 out of 5]

bastante humor millenial

[Noof · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 stars
Lvl 3 closed door ?
Redemption arc.

[agata · Rating 2 out of 5]

no leo nunca más a heterosexuales casi me mete en un bloqueo lector