Checking Her Twice: A Small-Town Second Chance Hockey Romance

by L.J. Grey

Maybe some mistakes are worth fixing.


Ever been ghosted by a hot hockey player who happens to be your brother's best friend? Unfortunately, I have.

Five years. That's how long it's taken me to get over one perfect night. Long enough to convince myself I'm fine.

Then Nate Winters limps into my world like he owns the place.

Career-ending knee injury. Twelve weeks of recovery. And I'm the lucky physical therapist who gets to put my hands on him three times a week. Professional. Clinical. Like I don't remember exactly what those muscles feel like.

He doesn't even recognize me at first. Just stares at my name tag like he's seeing a ghost.

Good. Let him squirm.


Rehab was supposed to be simple. Fix my knee. Get back to Boston. Keep my head down.
Then I walk into physical therapy, and the biggest mistake of my life looks at me like she'd be happy to break my other knee.

Emma Sullivan. My best friend's little sister. The woman whose number I blocked five years ago because I was too much of a coward to face what I felt.

Now my career is in her hands—hands I still remember on my skin. But when she tells me to get on the table, her warm eyes turn ice cold.

Fair.

But when I help a kid tie his skates, I catch her staring. When I untangle Christmas lights at the community center, that wall cracks just a little. And when our hands touch during therapy, her breath catches.

I came here to save my career. But losing her once almost destroyed me. Losing her twice? That would finish the job.

This time, I'm not running.

A steamy small-town hockey romance with second chances, forced proximity, brother's best friend angst, and enough holiday magic to melt the ice—on and off the rink.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2025

Reviews

[Ruth R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma works as a therapist in a small clinic, one day while she was taking a break between clients her boss called her, she tells her that there’s going to have a professional athlete and she wanted her to take care of him.
She asked her what sport he plays and she says it’s hockey.
she tells her that he requested limited staff interaction because he wants to keep a low profile during recovery, she gaved her, his personal file and went to the break room near her friend Betsy, when she asked her who it was she opened the file , the file fell from her hand, she tells her he was no one else than her first love and her biggest mistake.

Nate after nine years he went back in Pine Hollow because his knee injury , he went to his parents house. When his mother asked where he’s going to go for therapy, he tells her that’s in town , she was happy because Emma her friends daughter works there.He couldn’t forget about the night they had together, he thought how could he act in front of her for twelve weeks.
When he entered he met with a professional Emma not the one who laughed at his jokes, he was hurt because he didn’t expect to be treated by her like that, but twelve weeks should melt her down.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Nate. I love a good grovel, and Nate's was pretty good, but my guy, get your act together.

I have a soft spot for characters that feel like they are never someone's first choice. They break my heart all the time. By the end of Checking Her Twice, I was hoping Emma would finally be Nate's first choice. They're thrown together while Nate is back home rehabing his knee. What starts off as a cold shoulder, quickly turns into stolen glances and getting tangled up in Christmas lights. As much as I adored this book and the two main characters, I really quick the background characters stole the show, especially the matchmaking moms.

Checking Her Twice was an adorable holiday hockey romance who fans of second chances and epic groveling.

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

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ardent story had me connecting with Nate and Emma. He is best friends with her brother and had an intimate connection with her but fled instead of facing the feelings that were growing between them. Now he is back in town after a knee injury, and she is the physical therapist that has his career in her hands. The look of cold indifference does not set well with Nate but will close proximity loosen the walls around Emma's heart for a second chance.

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

[Sarah Freilinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angst

Emma has returned to her hometown to work as a physical therapist, specializing in athletes. Nate is a hockey player that has a career threatening injury. she is tasked with rehabbing his knee, but also his heart.
I cried a lot with this book. The characters have real feelings, and their friends give good advice.

[Donna Nalbandian Woerner Homschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet emotional second chance for two wonderful characters. Believable true to life storyline of vulnerability, love and emotional shortcomings.

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

[Teresa R · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Perfect Night
That’s what Emma and Nate had, one perfect night, and then he ran. He ran because he felt too much but never told her. Now they’re thrown back together. Will history repeat itself or will they finally have their happily ever after?!

[Doris Biddix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the dual POVs. I was invested in their relationship and thought it was very well-written. I look forward to Book 2! And reading more from this author!

[Bobbie Abell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pine hill

Too much bad language. Not necessary for a good story.. So door I picked this one to read. Choose better material to read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about second chances