Face Off: A Hockey Romance

by K.T. Quinn

She’s paid to make him look good. He’s about to make her lose control.

When new hire, Holly Griswold, is assigned to manage the Surge’s surliest player, she knows exactly what she’s walking into… a bad attitude in goalie pads.
What she doesn’t expect is the man beneath the funny, guarded, and annoyingly irresistible.
But Holly’s nothing if not the consummate professional.
Keeping her distance should be easy.
Right?

After seven years stuck as a backup goalie, Hunter Callahan finally has his shot at glory.
The last thing he wants is a babysitter shadowing him off the ice, spinning his words, and breaking down walls with a single look.
But the harder he pushes Holly away, the deeper she digs under his skin.
Until the line between fighting and falling starts to blur.

In a game built on control, will surrender cost them everything?
Or will it be the only way they win?

FACE OFF is a scorching sports romance filled with humor, suspense, and hockey-related excitement. HEA guaranteed!

Genres: Sports

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2025

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I loved Face Off, I just can't give it a full 5 stars like I did for the first book in the series. I loved Quinn's writing. I loved the banter between Holly and Hunter. The hockey scenes where fantastic. 10 out of 10, highly recommend. The only element of Face Off that is keeping me from giving it 5 stars was the character development.

I enjoyed getting to know Holly and Hunter, but there was something missing from their development. For Holly, I wanted more of her redemption arc. I wanted to see her and Julie become friends after their clash earlier in the book. She is hard-working and that is all we really see from her for most of the book. We don't really get her history. We just know that she works hard and demands results. As for Hunter, it felt as if his personality was never allowed to shine through. He never got to a chance to prove himself, with the exception of one time and it was immediately yanked away from him. He was on a leash for the majority of the book. I wanted him to break free.

With that said, I still devoured Face Off. The author's writing sucked me in from the first page and kept my attention until the very end. I'm hoping Theo is next, but in the meantime, I need to go back and read book 2.

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

[Jen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunter Callahan is starting a new season off with a shadow, a new PR coach. She will have her work cut out for her is all he can say. Holly Griswold maybe new, technically an intern but she knows her stuff and this is her dream job. At first, oil meet water. As the season moves forward, Hunter and Holly work closely together, prepping and reviewing. She is determined to get him as comfortable off the ice with the press, fans and sponsors as he is on the ice. The season has its challenges both on and off the ice but the play offs are in sight for the Surge. A great story that flows perfectly and kept me coming back for more but i would have liked more character history for both Hunter and Holly. Bob Trent - this guy is just evil. I look forward to returning to San Antonio, Texas for the next Surge season. Enjoy!.

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

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance between Holly and Hunter is a slow go. She is handling his PR and he is the Surge's new first line goalie. Even though they clash, I had difficulty finding the chemistry between them. I like them as individuals, but I found the attraction minimal. I felt the character development to be limited. The back stories for Holly non-existent and Hunter's stunted. I had trouble with some of the tension between Holly and Hunter because it made me uncomfortable. I also did not care for the harsh interactions with Bob and Holly. It was harassment to say the least.

I did think the dialogue was done well and the happy ending suited Holly and Hunter's story.

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

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about Grayson and Holly. It took me awhile to get into this story and I have to say it wasn’t my favourite out of this series. Things were difficult between the two main characters, and although they eventually sorted things out, it just wasn’t as flowing as previous stories. There is a happy ending for this couple, but a lot has to happen before it does eventually come to fruition.

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

[Robin R Finch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay

I feel like I'm being generous with 3 stars. The plot is typical, the characters are too cardboard and the whole storyline falls flat. There were so many times that the characters could have been developed more. This story really needed an editor who cares about the author and encouraged them to give more. The spice level is pretty low too. Overall, I felt let down my this book.

[Kim Gauger · Rating 3 out of 5]

a lot of hockey

This book had a whole lot of hockey in it. More than a typical sports romance. I felt it had more hockey than romance. It kinda fell to the wayside. They had so much chemistry but it fell short imo.. still a good book but I don’t understand hockey games enough to have it be the majority of the book.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It certainly wasn't an easy road for Holly and Hunter to fall in love but they do get their happily ever after. I did like the insights into Holly's job.