Dear Hotshot, I Hate You

Seattle Havoc #3

by Vivian Wood

The team’s hotshot just fell for the one girl who hates his guts.

Mollie Tate just wants to do her job, build her career, and stop getting introduced as Beck Tate’s little sister like it’s her full legal name. Working for the Seattle Havoc is a dream. It’s also a daily reminder that hockey players are all walking red flags with great abs.

Her ground rules are simple: don't date, flirt, or even think about hockey players. Especially not Alexander Thorne, the team's golden boy who's charming in interviews and friendly with fans but somehow reserves all his grunts and attitude just for her. He’s hot, but he’s such a jerk.

Thorne knows he's being a dick. He also knows it's the only way to keep his hands off his captain's little sister. She drives him crazy, and the only cure is kissing her until that sharp little mouth finally shuts up. Except his teammate would absolutely murder him for it.

Because the alternative is admitting that every time Mollie rolls her eyes at him, he wants to push her against a wall and find out if good girls actually taste as sweet as they look.

Tropes: sports romance, teammate's little sister, hate to love, forbidden romance, workplace romance, touch her and expire, forced proximity, bad boy player x good girl, spicy romance

397 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 18, 2026

About the author

Vivian likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees.

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Reviews

[Queen Aries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as a free arc copy
Rating: 3⭐️
Spice: 3🌶️
Burn/Yearn: 2🔥
Darkness: 1🖤 *fyi I’m a pitch black dark romance reader so this is just my personal opinion*

🧬Genre: Contemporary Hockey Romance

📚Tropes: Hockey, Forbidden romance, Hate to Love, Bad boy player x good girl, obsessive/stalker MMC

🤏Microtropes: Forced proximity, Teammate’s little sister, Possessive MMC

😈Kinks: Spanking, Public play, He sniffs her panties & cums in his pants, Praise kink, Use your words/Beg for it

😍Fav Quotes:
- “You got me oat milk?”……”It’s just oat milk.” - but it’s not just freaking oat milk 🥹

📝Review:
- A man who acts nonchalant but secretly stalks her 🫠
- He notices every little detail that she thinks he doesn’t & secretly does his best to fix/provide her with anything she needs. Like buying her a variety of oat milk creamer because she complains about his almond milk, he notices she’s recently been out in the sun b/c new freckles have shown up on her shoulder, how she has a pair of converse in every single color, & he cooks her meals, & reinforces her aerial silks without being asked because he just noticed & was worried she’d hurt herself.
- There were times when it got a little too slow burn for me & I found it frustrating that Thorne was hyped up as this big kinky playboy but then when he gets with Mollie, he’s all like “let’s take things slow or I don’t think you’re ready for xyz”. The kinks in question were barely even there for my taste.
- The writing style wasn’t my favorite simply because I felt like there were multiple times where we tripped over the plot from one scene to the next & it didn’t quite flow properly. Kinda like the characters had an off screen conversation that the reader doesn’t get included on. Nothing too dramatic where I got frustrated or even considered dnfing, but just more like “oh that’s weird, how did we get here?”.
- HIS FLAGS ARE TOO GREEN for what I’m used to reading 😂 This may seem dark to others but to me it wasn’t dark enough as I would like for the tropes used. However, I don’t think I’m the intended audience & that’s totally okay. I still enjoyed this book & I would recommend it to someone looking for a fluffy hockey romance.
- Some things i absolutely loved in this book was the delicate way Thorne handled Mollie’s trauma, Thorne’s nurturing qualities & devoted attention to Mollie. I also really enjoyed how amazing of a father Beck is to Rosie while being a single parent. I don’t even really like kids but I adored Rosie & her dynamic with everyone. Also Gordie was the star of the whole book! I loved that dog so so much! And Indi was such an amazing example of a true girls girls friend!
- The movie theater date was seriously so swoon worthy & one of my favorite scenes! He pulled out all the stops & the way he remembered all the smallest details & how badly he wanted it to be perfect was SUPER sweet & heartwarming!
- I do want to say that I am grateful to have been chosen by the author for this arc read & while it may have not been the best fit for me, I know there’s lots of readers who will love it & I don’t regret the time I spent reading this book.

[Joanne Barton]

“Dear Hotshot, I Hate You” is the third book in “A Seattle Havoc Hockey Romance” series. It is everything you expect from a sports romance with a touch of alpha male thrown in. Alexander Thorne, aka Hotshot, is co-captain with his best friend Beck Tate of the Seattle Havoc hockey team. He is also the team’s golden boy and the ladies love him. Molly Tate, Beck’s sister, is employed by the Seattle Havoc’s as a Junior Social Media Manager. Previously Molly was a World National Figure skater until she had a bad fall when landing a jump in competition and broke her ankle in three places….thus, ending her career. When her apartment is destroyed by fire, Alex offers her his spare room….what can possibly happen when two people are secretly attracted to each other are living together?

I’m very happily hooked - I did not want it to end! Once I started reading, I could not put this book down! At times you will laugh, you will cry, get angry and frustrated - most of all, you will love the twists! This book will charm “the pants off you” and leave you going back for more. This is a lovely book that will keep you hooked! It has fun, laughs, intrigue, twists that you do not expect, and physical attraction. You will fall in love with Alex and Molly. They compliment each in some many ways - faults and all.

“I kiss him again, longer this time, my hands still on his face. He pulls me closer and kisses me back like he means it. When we finally break apart, he rests his forehead against mine. I look back at the ice over my shoulder. It gleams under the arena lights, empty and patient and waiting. It'll still be there. When I’m ready, it’ll be waiting.”

I was hooked by the first chapter. This is a lovely book that will keep you hooked! It has fun, laughs, intrigue, twists that you do not expect, and physical attraction. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful love story. From page to page, chapter to chapter, from cover to cover - you will enjoy this beautiful story. This book will not disappoint! Highly recommended 😊

[Karen Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Seattle Havoc Hockey series that I’ve reviewed and I enjoyed it just as much as Dear MVP, You’re Ice cold.
Mollie is recovering from a serious ankle injury that ended her figure skating career, although nobody knows the reason why her concentration was off when it happened. She now works for the Havoc doing media content.
Thorne is best friends with her brother Beck and both are co-captains of the team.
Beck is the golden son and Mollie has always felt invisible to her parents.
In Seattle she is finding independence but needs a favour from Thorne who although always goes out of his way to annoy her but always makes her feel safe. When he rejects the favour she still finds herself living with him when her building if fire damaged.
The tension that builds is rather intense finally snaps and the start seeing each other secretly. Thorne also has tension at work, trade rumours and a new colleague.
Mollie does a live stream explaining to the media what actually happened to her before her injury.
When she confronts her past it Thorne explodes on the rink as he decides to settle the situation.
Unfortunately Beck realises that His best friend has been going behind his back to date his sister.
When Thorne gets called for a meeting he thinks he might be fired but Mollie storms in and saves the day.
It was emotional when she tells her parents everything.
The bonus epilogue is perfect.
Great story and can’t wait for the next one.

[Amanda Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Hotshot, I Hate you is the third book in the Seattle Havoc series by Vivian Wood. As someone who has been in their hockey romance era since the 2010s; I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book especially since it’s a new author and series to me. On paper, I should have loved this book. Dear Hotshot, I Hate You contains all the tropes that I love hockey, brothers best friend, forbidden, age gap and spicy lessons, but unfortunately this book didn’t work for me.
One of the things that I had the most difficult when reading was the fact that there were small inconsistencies scattered throughout the book that made it difficult to follow the plot. While there was some potential for interesting plot lines, they weren’t well developed. At close to 400 pages, this book felt too long and at times I found myself having to skim the pages, since the plot was dragging
Maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first two books, but both the characters felt one dimensional to me. I wasn’t cheering for either Mollie or Alex. While reading Mollie and Alex’s story, I found myself more interested in the next books couple Konstantin and Sable.
Even though this book wasn’t for me, I could see other readers enjoying it. The spice was well written and the author took extreme care in writing about delicate topics. Thanks Vivian Wood for giving me an opportunity to read this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review

[Audra Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️/3.5
🌶/3

I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I wanted to give it a higher rating, but I had a few issues with some inconsistencies in the story line. I'm giving it a 3.5 rounded to 4.

There seemed to be some confusion in regards to what actually happened to Mollie. I wasnt sure if that was intentional because she was trying to minimize her trauma or if it really did get lost in the plot.

As for some other inconsistencies, the timeline seemed shifted in some places. It tripped me up a little, but not enough to keep me from reading and enjoying.

Now for the characters. Mollie is a true baddie. She just kept on going even when life tried to throw her down. And I WISH I had a friend like Indie! She's amazing. A true ride or die.

Alex was really too hung up on his issues with his dad. I mean, his dad is a real piece of work, but I don't think it was that serious for him to be so broken over. People's dad's suck. Its a thing. Don't make it a you issue. Otherwise he was such a sweet and caring man. He really was just trying to do his best and be the best for Mollie.

Overall, an awesome book. I'm definitely going to be reading more from Vivian Wood. The spice was spicing 🔥 The banter was bantering. The MOUTH on Alex 🥵 Anyways. If you're looking for a quick read and a good time, this is the one for you!!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Alex is the team golden boy, Mollie his co-captain’s younger sister who also runs the team’s social media. Both have secret crushes on each other, and after an apartment fire she moves onto his houseboat. You know where this story is going.

While I’m a girl with a soft spot for easy to read sport romances, I’m not sure this one was for me.

The thing is, there were so many inconsistencies right from the beginning. Page 11 Mollie says her brother is the oldest person on the team, page 12 she says right winger Moose Taggert is older than her brother. The length of time Alex has had secret feelings for Mollie changes and puts it just a half step outside of creepy due to their age gap. Or maybe it doesn’t. Depends which chapter you’re reading.

There was a moment that was perfectly executed in this book though. Without getting into too much detail, Mollie tells Alex about her trauma, his reaction and what he says… those are the words every woman should hear. This conversation is why I rated as high as I did. Well that and Alex’s dog Gordie is perfect.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author.

Mollie is Beck’s little sister. Alex is Beck’s best friend and co-captain on the hockey team.

Mollie has been harboring a crush on Alex for about a year. He fell for her the first time he saw her. She asks him to take her v-card and he rejects her. However this couple grows so much throughout the book.

They heal from so much trauma together it really tugs at your heartstrings. The way she supports him through his family situation is beautiful. His way of showing her that she’s not an afterthought when he realizes how her family treats is very sweet. Don’t get me wrong her family loves her however they suck at it!

When Mollie opens up about her SA trauma the way that Alex shows his support is so beautifully written, it makes you admire him. All the ways in which he helps her gain her voice is amazing.

While this is my first book by this author I see myself reading more from her because of how well written this story was.

Please check the TW before diving in.

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from the author.

The burn is slow , but when it burns it sets them on fire.
Age gap
spice level 4.5

The begginignwas a little slow for moe. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Our FMC works for the team and she has a set of rules she should not break. Now does she break them... Maybe, this is wheere the fun happens without any spoliers. (becasue you should read it) Breaking the rules not only help her but save her from not one but two situationsa theorwise she would of never been able to confront.
Our "Hotshot" is the handsome co captian of a hockey team that has his own issues as well. He is a "thorn" in a lot of people sides but he is also a charismatic, well liked golden boy who just happens to like someone he should.

The timeline of the book is easy to followVivian Wood and there is great character development. The story is great and it will draw you in once you are in. It is an enemy to lovers.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from author.

I’ve been waiting for Thorne (Alex) and Mollie’s story and it did not disappoint. This was another great continuation of the Seattle Havoc series.

Forced proximity due to workplace and housing issues caused these two to finally admit their feelings for each other. It wasn’t instant and it was very entertaining to watch unfold. Their banter alone made their relationship so much fun. Her sassiness mixed with his sarcasm created a perfect mix!

As predicted, Beck was less than thrilled when he found out about them. I felt bad for him, because he felt betrayed by his best friend and his little sister. Hopefully, their relationships will improve as the series continues. The bonus epilogue really pulled things together and I love how Alex and Mollie’s story ended. It was perfect for the two of them and their quirky relationship!

I’m looking forward to Konstantin and Sable’s story. Highly recommend for fans of hockey romances.

[Anakalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh . . . Alex and Mollie's story is—in my humble opinion—the best one yet in this fantastic series. The chemistry between them is off the charts and scorching hot, and the slow build-up of tension in the plot is absolutely amazing.
I loved seeing Alex’s private side and Molly’s struggle to be seen. Together, they’re an absolute dream couple, and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. Their love-hate dynamic and verbal sparring are hilarious and had me laughing out loud and giggling the whole time, whereas their time with Rosie, Mollie’s brother’s little daughter, is melt-your-heart cute.
I loved how Ms. Wood handled the interwoven theme with such sensitivity and care. It gave the book the perfect edge, created an excellent counterbalance to the romantic parts, and made it a page-turner par excellence… a book you can’t put down—gripping, and keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in this series was full of the things we love from this author's creativity, and I enjoyed my time with this couple.

Mollie has been crushing on Alex Thorne since forever, but when she finds herself sharing his home, it's difficult to manage her feelings.
Alex has been quietly reforming his playboy ways, after catching feelings for Mollie, but Beck (Mollie's brother and his best friend and co-captain) is going to be an issue if he acts on them.

This pair has numerous things to deal with and reconcile before they get their HEA, and the pages turned themselves as I followed their journey.

The emotions surrounding them are easy to connect with, as is their steamy chemistry and his possessive behaviors.

I recommend this author, this series, and cannot WAIT for the next one! Best to read in order to avoid spoilers.

I received an ARC (thank you) and my thoughts are my own.

[Kayla Turcotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Thorne is your typical cocky, ladies man, hockey player,…ahem - let me restart. That Alex Thorne is the Thorne he lets the public see. That’s also the Alex that his team mates see him as too. However, the real Alex Thorne? He’s Attentive. Observant. Caring. Thoughtful. Patient. Respectful…umm maybe stalker-ish? But like, in a green flag kind of way? He cares if his 85% deaf team mate is comfortable (k this one took time lol), he cares that his friend’s sister’s apartment burned down (he let her stay in his house boat!), he cares that his best friend is mad at him. He’s upset that his dad is engaged to his ex gf… let’s just say, he’s more than a pretty face and fast skates. When Mollie finally tells Alex about her figure skating coach Savard; he’s wildly patient until they’re face to face with Savard himself; and the gloves come off. Mollie isn’t used to being put first so she does what any sister would want to do…she keeps the one thing that brings her happiness to herself.

[a.vangasse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free provided by the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Vivian Woods!

Ooh how I love me some good ice hockey romance and this one was for sure one! 🏒

Love on first sight but he thinks he has to keep it to himself? Alex Thorne is such a sweet and caring man. And Molly is a badass.
The chemistry between then was off the shards. I loved the banter between them.
The moment Molly opens up about her trauma was beautiful. How Alex reacts to it is what every woman in that situation would want to hear.

I will for sure be reading the books before this one and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series!

If you like
👉 ice hockey romance
👉 best friends/teammates little sister
👉 he falls hard
👉 close proximity
👉 virgin fmc
👉 workplace romance

Then you should definitely read this book!

[Samantha Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I liked this book so much. This was my first book from Vivian Wood and I can tell you now that it won’t be my last. The tension, the spice, the troupes. Everything was so good and there was no third- act breakup which is a bonus!

Mollie, my heart breaks for her and what she went through. But I loved watching her get back up and stand taller and be more confident. She’s a bad B and did she make Thorne fall or what!

Thorne the man that you are! I love a bit of stalking when it comes to the fictional world and Thorne doesn’t disappoint. I love that he knows what he wants but tries to fight it. We love that! Also the sexual tension between them you couldn’t cut it with a knife it was that thick!

This is a definite sign that you should read this book! Cannot wait to read more from this author soon!

[Michelle White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading any of Vivian Wood books. I really enjoyed this one. You have Mollie who has an older brother (Beck) in professional hockey. Mollie suffered a career ending break in her ankle while figure skating and is now working for the hockey team doing their social media. Then you have Alex, Beck's friend and teammate. Mollie has one rule to never date a hockey player, and Alex has been head over heels for her since he saw her doing a figure skating routine. She ends up asking Alex to help her with her problem and in doing so they end up having some great chemistry. He ends up bringing the truth out here about her old coach and she helps him with both his parents. Super cute read!

[The Writing Wormhole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Hotshot, I Hate You is such a fun read. Truly I've read so many brothers-best-friend hockey romance that I thought I would be sick of the trope by now but I'm not. The added bonus of teammates little sister was fun too. I went in not knowing it was the 3rd of a series, and now I can't wait to read more of them. I do wish there was a little bit more of the Tate family Dynamics in terms of Beck and Mollie later on, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The chemistry is really good, and the alpha moments where Alex decides to be a little dark, don't get me started. I thought he was going to be a little darker than it was based on some moments throughout but it was nothing to be too disappointed about. Overall is another great read to add to your list of swoony summer hockey romances.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review of book from author. This was not a bad little read. For me i was expecting a way darker time but our MC was very green flag minus a tiny bit of stalking, so probably not really your target audience with me, as i like a bit less sweet in my hate to love troupe . I was also expecting hate to love which I didn't feel really existed at all. At times I felt this book was a little drawn out and I got bored. Nothing to a dnf level or a level I wanted to put down. There were some great aspects, the spice was spicing...the non vanilla was good. His green flag kindness was sweet. Loved the dog and little Rosie. Indie was a gem and I want her as a gf. It was a good read and I had a good time.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instantaneous Unavoidable Chemistry
Even though there was some inconsistences in this spicy hockey romance it was definitely an enjoyable read that I was not willing to put down till the end. It had so many tropes that I enjoy forced proximity, best friend’s little sister, enemies to lovers and more. Both Mollie and Alex have to deal with their own life traumas in their own ways. Their support and caring for each other pulled at my heartstrings. That is all I am going to say as I do not want to give any spoilers away. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

[Hali Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤍 Hockey Romance
🤍 Teammates Sister
🤍 Hate to Love
🤍 Forbidden Romance
🤍 Bad Boy x Good Girl

First time reading anything by Vivian and I’m a lifelong fan now! This book was written so well and I loved every second of it. I loved the tension and mutual pining between Mollie and Alex. Add in the forbidden brother’s best friend and it was everything! The spice was definitely spicing between these two and when “it” finally happened I was kicking my feet. I definitely recommend reading this if you love spicy hockey romance. Now I’m going to read Vivian’s other books while I wait for Konstantin’s book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars! I loved Mollie and how strong she was. She had to work through her injury and her SA from her old coach and I loved how Alex was there for her. I loved that he didn't ask how he could fix it for her but was just there for her.

There were a few things about Alex that I sort of thought were red flags (big one being the medical record thing) but overall he loved her and that's all that mattered!

[Zana Constant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I read! I read an Arc of this book and I had a good time. I didn’t not read the first two of the series.

3.5 stars: I LOVED that there was no 3rd act breakup that most stories have. Brother’s best friend is my favorite trope and this was done well.

I have read many sports romance and I would definitely recommend this one. I liked it and will definitely finish the series, as well as read the first two!!

[Simone Haeseler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It as a bit of the typical best friend brother and little sister kind of story. Both were secretly in love, and both denied it. It was a very slow burn, with a lot of hot and colt. Alex upbringing was a bit harder than hers, his parents divorced and a not so nice dad. All in all a nice story, but not very original. The whole secret dating was going old very fast. For a rainy Sunday an ok read.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks Vivian Wood for an advanced copy of this book


🌶️ level is pretty good, however I felt like there were too many major conflicts in this book, yet none of them were really delved into, just skimmed through.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely fabulous story. I found it so hard to put down and couldn't wait until I could carve our time to dive back into it.