Stuck With My Hockey Ex: A Sweet Enemies To Lovers Romcom

by E.J. Wells

I agreed to fake date my hockey ex to save my dog rescue, and now the whole town thinks we’re a family.

I run a rescue, raise my son alone, and barely keep everything afloat.
So naturally, my hockey ex walks back into town.

Evan Blake.
Suspended, infamous, and court-ordered to do community service.
The man who left once and never looked back, now working under my roof.

One photo of us together turns into a donation spike.
Apparently people love a redemption arc,
Especially when it comes with rescue dogs and a cute kid.

To keep the funding, I agree to fake date him.

Staged smiles turn into late nights.
Pretend hand-holding turns into something I don’t pull away from.
And one accidental kiss changes everything.

The town believes it.
My son believes it.
And Evan starts acting like this isn’t fake.

Somewhere between pretending and surviving, I fall again…and then it hits.

Fake dating him is safe.
Loving him means risking that when Evan leaves, my son will be the one who pays the price.

Stuck With My Hockey Ex is a closed-door rom-com with fake dating, opposites-attract energy, grumpy-sunshine vibes, and a love story that refuses to stay pretend. All swoon, no spice.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[Cindy Burrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a story that grabs me from the beginning and keeps me wanting to read just one more chapter to find out what happens next. The characters were so relatable and the tension between them was huge.
Rowan runs a dog rescue business, Little Paws Dog Rescue, and works her tail off to make it successful. The center is in chaos as the dogs are all barking and a potential adopter is looking for an escape. Rowan is good at her job and gets them settled down quickly. She is the picture of someone who has her life altogether, but she really doesn’t. She’s a hot mess, but in an effective way.
“Gerald Lee, Silverthorn Ridge’s sweat-soaked angel of bureaucratic chaos, has once again brought me paperwork that will ruin my day.” The paperwork needs to be approved for the center to continue operating. She finally gets the okay to continue. Gerald also informs her a new volunteer will be arriving soon for community service placement. Imagine her surprise when Evan Blake is the new volunteer. When he walks in, she just stares at him. He looks good, well, better than good. He could be on “a billboard for “Annoyingly Attractive Men Who Ruin Your Monday.”
Evan left town four years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a professional hockey player. Everyone in town loved him and he left Rowan pregnant and alone. This can’t be real, how is he here and looking as if nothing is wrong.
Rowan struggles with providing for her son Theo and often having to choose what she has to leave behind due to lack of money. Evan has been suspended from the league and will be providing community service by working with Rowan. He walked away years ago without a look back. No communication, no calling to see if she was okay, nothing. She’s having trouble breathing and trying to comprehend why he’s here and all the things that could and probably will go wrong because Evan is back.
Rowan walks Evan around and explains how they operate. She’s surprised at how gentle he is with the dogs. There are special notes on some cages about what this dog needs. Pancake’s note reads “Needs extra assurance.” Evan sits down on the floor beside Pancake’s cage, so he won’t seem as large and scary. He reads all the cards on the cages and makes sure to give each dog what they need. Rowan notices this and is perplexed by his actions.
Rowan explains about the cleaning that needs to be completed daily, and Evan follows her directions without missing a beat. He’s patient with the dogs and works hard without complaining.
Theo, Rowan’s son (and Evan’s that he’s never seen before since he left and never looked back) is supposed to be in the office, but he’s wandered into the main rescue space. Theo spots Evan and walks towards him. Rowan notices and her mind is racing…”I should call him back. I should step between them. I should do something. But no sound comes.” When Evan notices him, he realizes this is Rowan’s son and his. His mind is racing, what should he do? He sits down to be less intimidating.
This wonderfully written story is filled with drama, tension, some unknowns, surprises, and more. I do not want to give too much away and ruin this story for you. Will Evan find out that Theo is his son and accept him? Will Rowan be able to trust Evan? Will Evan leave again when he’s completed his community service hours and leave Rowan and Theo behind? To find out these answers and many more, get your copy of “Stuck with My Hockey Ex” by E.J. Wells today! Get lost in this wonderful story.

[Mary Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well now this was a tale with some bite;
Evan left, Rowan stayed, Theo arrived and she, well she persevered.
And then Evan came back community service in her rescue center!
Fake date for the optics.
And then Theo..young Theo who caught me up in his little world. He wanted and he was brave enough to try, braver than Rowan, braver than Evan.
And his bravery shone a light to get these two people to step up and untangle the past and be in the moment.
Loved the rescue dogs and their personalities, great support characters, Kai just cracked me up; she had some zingers for sure, even gluten free Gerald played a part. And it was all wrapped up in a satisfactory manner.

[Reads lotsa stuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Community service. Out of all the dog shelters in the world, you had to walk into mine. A second chance redemption arc for a hockey player who left town when his girlfriend got pregnant. Left to handle it all on her own she has made a life for herself and her son. Albeit, that life has its own struggles as does the hockey player. There are challenges they face. There are secrets kept. There are front page articles. The characters are relatable. The storyline is solid. The relationship feels completely fake, but it all works.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ethan returns to his home town to do community service for his hockey punishment, he chooses to work at the dog rescue. It's owned by his ex, and he wants to help her. And because of her son... who might be his son...
A story about second chances and choosing. Honest and emotional, it was a chance for love.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a past filled with hurt between Rowan and Evan, but hope still hung on and grew. Through the struggles it was lovely to see these two go from orbiting each other to standing beside each other. The supporting characters add a layer of quirky fun to an emotional story.

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

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a shorter read. The writing is similar to the other book-shorter, phrase like thoughts. It's definitely different. We see Evan back in town to do community service at her dog shelter and get to see how they dance around each other. 3.5 stars

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought I was going to be reading but it turned out to be a very cute, short story. It kept me interested as I wanted to know that Theo ended up with his parents the way they should. Would definitely read more from this author.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

STUCK WITH MY HOCKEY EX is a very slow burn, clean, second chance romance. There’s a lot of angst and emotional baggage for the main characters to work through. Can they do it?
I reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book with no strings attached.