The Not To Do List: A Sweet Hockey RomCom

by Viera Hope

The best way to get ahead of a scandal? Fake date the captain of the hockey team—the guy she can’t stand.

Kenna has a plan for her sophomore year of college. 1) get a job at the campus cafe 2) grow her photography account 3) stay away from hockey players.

When she checks the first item off the list, she doesn’t expect it to come with Reese Dawson being her direct supervisor. Captain of the Wentworth Ravens and the guy who ghosted her and then seems to have no recollection of her existence.

Reese has always prided himself in keeping his image clean. But when he steps in to help a friend, everything seems to snowball and suddenly he finds himself in the hot seat, loosing potential sponsorships.

When unfortunate set of events finds Reese and Kenna handcuffed together followed by a viral pictures circling, they make a he gets his image fixed up and she gets her photography account to grow. All they have to do is pretend to be madly in love.

Except the more time they spend together, the more they find that they’re not that different and maybe what started off fake isn’t so fake at all.

There’s a chance this win-win situation is more of a losing game—one where both of their hearts are on the line and no one comes out unscathed.

The Not To Do List is a closed door sweet hockey romance with a grumpy girl, a sunshine boy and a whole lot of swoony feels. If you love your romance extra sweet, with no spice, then you’ll love the first book in the Wentworth Ravens series!

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2026

Reviews

[isis ✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Aww, esta historia fue absoluta dulzura! Es una rom-com súper ligera que se siente tal cual como un k-drama. Los protagonistas, Kenna y Reese, me parecieron un encanto total.

Aunque al principio Kenna tiene toda clase de planes (incluyendo mantenerse alejada de los jugadores de hockey, y especialmente de Reese), el destino juega en su contra y terminan trabajando juntos en la misma cafetería 😹. Es precioso ver cómo, con el tiempo, ella empieza a abrirse, a descubrir las facetas de él y a permitirse ser feliz mientras gana confianza en sí misma. Su pasión por la fotografía es un detalle hermoso, al igual que la relación que tiene con su mejor amiga, Evie. Y Reese... ¡ese chico es un sol! Me encantó lo paciente que es, siempre dispuesto a escucharla y enfocado en verla sonreír. También adoré su dinámica con su equipo de hockey y el entrenador. Y amé ver cómo ambos brillan en sus pasiones (la fotografía y el hockey), pero sobre todo la ternura infinita que Reese siente por Kenna.

Sus momentos juntos me hicieron reír y sonreír como tonta; su banter era súper cálido y esa escena donde terminan esposados fue sumamente divertida y tierna. Sin duda, es un comfort book de principio a fin. ❤️‍🩹📸🏒

----------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to the author for this ARC. 🫶🏻

[Stephanie Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet if I had teeth I might need a dentist.

This hockey romance (my weakness) was so dang sweet and heartwarming. We have our MMC, who has some baggage from his upbringing, same as our FMC. They have met before but he doesn't know and she's got an itsy bits grudge. A magic trick gone wrong ends up in a forced proximity situation and she's forced to face her feelings. As time goes on they get closer and ...well you'll just have to wait and see!

Grouchy x Sunshine
Forced proximity
Found family
Heartwarming and understanding MMC
Scared of getting hurt again FMC
HEA
*CLEAN* No "spicy" scenes beyond kissing and hand holding. This book is just a wholesome read with 2 individuals navigating their past traumas and falling in love.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Nat’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite possibly one of the cutest hockey romances I’ve read in a while. I loved the concept of them being handcuffed together during a party. Reese was so cute and I loved how much banter he had with Kenna. I would’ve liked to see a little more from the side characters because they intrigued me so much. I would highly recommend this novel to those who like second chance romances, the fake dating trope, and the grumpy x sunshine pairing. Thank you to the author for letting me be part of this ARC.

Please note all reviews are my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

College. Girlfriends/roommate bond. Hockey. Guy/teammates bond. Then there's the college guy with a crush...on certain girl who walks into his heart.
This is what I call a hockey adjacent story. Some hockey but also a lot of photography info since Kenna is a photography major. Happy moments interspersed with family pressures created a sweet romance most likely enjoyed by a younger (or young at heart) reader.
Sweet story.

[Ashleigh Reinersman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quintessential College Rom-Com

If you are looking for a sweet, missed connection, second chance, college romance - check out The Not To Do List! It’s an adorable story about a hockey player who thinks he’ll never find love and an ambitious photographer just trying to find her way! What they don’t expect is to find each other! I really enjoyed reading this book and it left me wanting more. I hope this isn’t the last we hear of Reese & Kenna’s story! Great job on the book, Viera!

[ʟᴜɴɴɪᴇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adorable story! This fake dating is simply charming, and the characters are precious. I love it, I love it! 🥹🩷