Chirp & Chase

by Tela V.

431 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2025

About the author

By day, Tela works in a professional setting; by night, she writes smut. She currently lives in the South with her husband and two dogs, chunky meatball and little bit. When not being a boss bitch, she likes to read (more smut, mysteries, and thrillers), watch true crime documentaries, cook, drink wine with her husband and besties, and watch sports!

Reviews

[Smutty Professor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Chirp and Chase! Ford Jensen is hands down the book boyfriend of the year- and maybe even my favorite of all time. From their first meeting in Drop the Mitts (Book 2 in the Behind the Net series), it’s clear he’s steady, grounded, and completely sure of his feelings for Maria, even when she’s very much not in the same place. Their story is a fake-dating setup that quickly becomes a safe space for Maria as she deals with a stressful work environment and unresolved issues tied to her past. Ford never tries to rush her or fix her. Instead, he consistently puts her first and meets her exactly where she is.

He does make a few larger gestures in support of Maria when she’s dealing with drama from her colleagues, but what stood out most were the smaller moments- the check-ins, the patience, the way he creates a sense of safety she doesn’t quite know how to handle yet. Him slowly breaking down her walls through consistency and genuine care was so swoony. Maria has fought hard to regain control of her life, and seeing her learn to trust someone who truly has her best interests at heart was so freaking beautiful. She absolutely deserves the happily ever after Ford is ready and more than willing to give her.

This is the third book in the Behind the Net series that I’ve read, and it’s easily my favorite so far. If you’re into hockey romances with cinnamon roll MMCs and brilliant FMCs in STEM who deserve the world, add this to your TBR immediately. You won’t want to miss it!

[Jess Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

At what point does he move from being a little obsessed to being considered a stalker?

Chirp & Chase is the first Tela V novel I have read, and I have to say I absolutely enjoyed it.

From Ford’s persistence, cocky optimism, and down bad behavior to Maria’s sassy, boss babe energy, this story was a fun read. Maria has sworn off men, but Ford is determined to make her his - no matter how annoying he has to be. When a situation comes up and Maria needs help, Ford gets his chance and the fun begins.

I love a good romance that has the silly mixed in with the serious and this story delivered in spades. Maria has been hurt and is trying to survive in a male dominated profession. Ford has realized there is more to life than hockey. They both have to figure out what that means and what they are willing to sacrifice if they want to make this work.

I can’t wait to read the rest of the series to see what happens with the remaining characters.

Check out Ford and Maria’s story. You’re going to love it.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the Hit Behind the Net series. I haven’t read the other books, but you don’t really need to in order to read and enjoy this one. I will say that when the book started, I wasn’t quite sure why Ford was so into Maria and I wasn’t sure I believed it at first. It wasn’t long that I feel for these two falling for each other!

Ford is kind of obsessive at first, he’s unrelenting. But it turns into something supportive. It was very sweet. When things go bad for her at work, he wants to be there for her. Similarly, when Ford gets hurt, she easily shows that she cares. Nothing is rushed. She’s unsure if this is what she wants, and Ford waits patiently.


There is A LOT of spice in this book. At first, I was like “okay, this is good.” But then it became that every time they see each other, it was 99% about the spice, and there wasn’t much else. They didn’t spend too much quality time together. So that was lacking for me a bit. But that is personal preference and I know a TON of people will love all the spice!

Overall, this was a really good read!

[giuls_inktales · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very realistic hockey romance, with two protagonists with established careers trying to balance their relationship and their profession.
I really appreciated this realism and how their feelings blossomed from a distance, emphasizing the importance of always being there for each other, regardless of whether they were close or not.

With Ford, it was definitely more complicated: at first, I found him almost unbearable, but he improved, although he always remained a little too over the top for me.

The book was released as an interconnected stand-alone, and it really is, despite the presence of characters from previous books, I had no difficulty reading it.

I found the spicy scenes a bit repetitive after a while, and in my opinion, the book could have been shortened by a hundred pages by cutting out some of the repetition.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read and a hockey romance that was much more realistic than many others.

thank the Author and Torch Lit Ink for the eARC 💚

[Naughty Nightie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Ford and Maria's story, and Tela keeps you turning the pages with all the events in their lives. Maria, an orthopedic surgeon, gets dumped by her boyfriend and, a few months later, hooks up with Ford at a wedding, a friend of theirs. Ford has always admired Maria from afar, and now that she's free, he wants her but wants to do the right thing by her. Maria's ex starts causing problems for her at work. Ford is a good sounding board for her and gives her sound advice. What starts as a fake relationship between the two starts becoming more serious. Will they be able to make a long-distance romance with conflicting work hours work towards a shared long-term relationship?
If you love a hockey player rom-com romance with a surgeon for a girlfriend, you will love this book. Tela certainly gives you a few giggles and belly laughs with some of the flirty conversations between the two.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a solid hockey romance! 🏒💙

Ford is the star captain of a Phoenix team, and Maria is an orthopedic surgeon based in Atlanta. This is the third book in the series, and their initial meeting happens in a previous installment, which did cause a little head-scratching during the first 10% of the book. Once I found my footing, though, everything flowed beautifully.

One thing I really appreciated was how accurate the hockey elements were. So many hockey romances gloss over the actual mechanics of the sport, but you can tell the author knows what she’s talking about—and it made the story feel that much more immersive.

Ford’s persistence completely stole my heart. The way he was willing to wait for Maria, without pressure or ultimatums, was genuinely beautiful. Their relationship was a true slow burn, and the payoff felt earned and incredibly satisfying.

If you love hockey romance with authentic sports details, patient devotion, and a gradual, swoony love story, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

[Becca love · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ This book made me wonder why I don’t read more hockey romance! It was such a cute, fun read, and I genuinely loved all the characters. This series is made up of interconnected standalones, and now I’ll definitely be going back to read the rest so I can get to know everyone better, because every single character in this book had my heart.

Ford and Marie though? 🥹❤️ Absolutely everything. I loved their relationship, the banter, and those spicy scenes 🥵🔥

Marie is a strong, independent woman, and I loved that she didn’t let any man try to diminish her success. We LOVE to see it ✨

And Ford? A yummy silver fox 🦊 who is completely all about Marie 😝😝

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, spicy, hockey romance! I loved Ford and how obsessed he is with Dr. Maria Lyons. Our man is down bad for her. He was so supportive of her and I think the person she needed in her life to bring her out of her shell. It was fun watching their relationship grow and to see Maria finally consider that maybe Ford is what she needed all along

Rating ⭐️: 4/5
Spice 🌶️: 2.5/5
Dual POV

💙 He falls first
🩶 Fake dating
💙 “I’m in charge”
🩶 Good girl / good boy
💙 Orthopedic surgeon x hockey captain

Thank you to so much to the author and Torch Lit Ink for the arc!

[Megan Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot! Ford is very persistent, unyielding and almost obsessive over Maria. He wants her bad and wants to prove it. But he also gives her time and doesn’t pressure her. Maria is strong, independent and doesn’t conform. She is steadfast in making it on her own. I love how they both have different moments where they support the other. The relationship grew at a steady pace and was real. And the spice was definitely spicy!

[Ashley Cutshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting Maria and Ford's story. Their chemistry was hilarious at the beginning but once Maria finally gave in to Ford's antics was great. His personally as falling first hard and fast was so fun. And of course give us all the hockey and romance in the book

[BookNerdBam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grey’s anatomy meets hockey romance & I was here for every part. What an easy read. Didn’t want to put the book down. I felt like I was feeling all the emotions right there with the characters.