Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Love and Hockey #6.5

The Rival Upgrade

Rate this book
They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.

I say the best way is to get under his rival.

Enter Shaw: smooth, sexy, British—and my ex’s biggest enemy on the ice. What was supposed to be a one-time revenge fling turns complicated when he invites me to his game… and catches me in my lie.

Turns out, nothing turns him on more than payback.

And now I’ve got a hockey player who won’t stop chasing me.

Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2026

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Lauren Blakely

252 books25.2k followers
You can find Lauren on TikTok at @laurenblakelybooks! A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
482 (30%)
4 stars
482 (30%)
3 stars
429 (27%)
2 stars
137 (8%)
1 star
39 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
Profile Image for Ally Bateman.
387 reviews1 follower
February 13, 2026
Short and sweet. I definitely liked that Camden came clean and told the truth before they hooked up.
Profile Image for bookswithanna.
486 reviews39 followers
February 14, 2026
My first Lauren Blakely and definitely not the last!
The Boyfriend Goal is definitely on my tbr for this year
Profile Image for Sam.
607 reviews38 followers
February 20, 2026
✨𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙬 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨. 𝙄 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙟𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙬’𝙨 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧. 𝙐𝙥𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️🌶️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫: 6
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧: 57%
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Sports romance (hockey), ex’s rival, he falls first
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 1st person, Dual POV
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Duet
𝐊𝐔: Yes

This was short, sweet, and a super quick read. I would have loved it even more if it had been a bit longer, but I really enjoyed it for what it was. Blakely did a great job with the pacing and keeping the story moving.

I loved the revenge plot of getting together with her ex’s hockey rival. Such a fun setup. If you love the Love & Hockey series, this is definitely a hockey romance you don’t want to miss.


⚠️𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:⚠️
One open door scene with explicit descriptions
Strong language

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Profile Image for нuѕηαн .✦ ݁˖ [INACTIVE-EXAMS].
343 reviews8 followers
February 17, 2026
જ⁀➴ 4 stars

Camden has been dating Erik, who is so full of himself that he thinks any woman having a piece of him should be lucky, until Camden realised he has been cheating on her.

To get revenge on Erik, Camden decided to date his rival- Shaw Coleman whom he is obsessed with since Cole is so much better at everything that Erik could be.

This was really sweet and I am so glad Camden came clean to Shaw before they get together about her identity.

I turn to him. “Do you want to come to the opening of my club with me next week?”
The corners of his lips curve up. “Like a date, Camden?” It’s a question full of delight. “A real one?”
“Was tonight not a real date?”
“It was a revenge fuck,” he says. “But it sounds like I revenge fucked my way right into your calendar, didn’t I?” The man is simply too pleased. But it’s well deserved.
I laugh. “You definitely did, Shaw.”
March 5, 2026
4.5 stars ⭐
A MF romantic short story! It's got a rockstar x hockey player, ex-boyfriend's rival, revenge fuck plan which leads to so much more 😁.
It's been forever since I read a MF story but I got this as a promo audiobook freebie & couldn't resist a duet narration 😍, especially of only 50min. Plus, the ebook was free - so I grabbed that too!

The 3 narrators did good. C's felt blasé but it worked for her. I liked S's british accent. E's did good to show him as carefree & jackass too in the short time he was here.

Camden is a tattooed rockstar, who just finds her bf had been cheating. It was a weird start, her pointing his annoying traits but now I get the lead up 😅. Girl, u were kind to him but u should've aimed higher lol. C's fiesty, planner & honest. I'm glad she told Shaw the truth before going further!

Shaw is C's (now) ex's rival, a British dude who's a gentleman & knows how to treat a lady right on & off the bed 🤭. He had a crush on C which was cute & I liked how all in he was from start!

This is pretty straightforward story with their meet & spicy times. I'm glad we get to see them on dates! It's a sweet HFN ending & there's not much else but I liked this short story. It's been so long since I'd read a Lauren book!

Audiobook/Story ratings:
POV: 1st person, Dual POV
Narration: Triple (Duet style). Erin Mallon, Shane East, Evan Parker.
Story arc: 3/5 (short but fun)
Voice acting: 9/10

FB Page | Instagram | Bookbub | FB group
Profile Image for Mora ౨ৎ (mostly ia).
171 reviews56 followers
February 21, 2026
✦⚬───────────────────────────✧───────────────────────────⚬✦
ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ/ꜰɪɴɪꜱʜᴇᴅ: 21 ꜰᴇʙ/21 ꜰᴇʙ
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ: ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟʟᴀ, ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇ, ꜱᴘᴏʀᴛꜱ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ, ɪɴꜱᴛᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ
✦⚬───────────────────────────✧───────────────────────────⚬✦
Rating 2/5 | Spice 3.5/5 on the romance.io scale (1= Glimpses and kisses, 2=Closed door, 3=Open door, 4=Explicit open door, 5=Explicit and plentiful)

This book is just way too short to care for it, at least with the revenge trope + the way it's written. It wasn't for me.
I like most of Lauren Blakely's books that I've read and went into this kinda blindly, that's on me, but I didn't care for either of the mc's. The revenge plot is lame and everything happens way too fast due to the length. It felt juvenile and rushed.

⊹₊ ˚‧┈┈┈┈⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ ⋆┈┈┈┈‧ ˚ ₊⊹
FMC wants to use MMC as revenge on her ex, and MMC doesn't give a shit and just wants to get with FMC and show he's better. They go from strangers to kissing to sex within 24h and 1 week later they're in a relationship. Alright....
MMC keeps calling her "princess" which was cringe to me.

⊹₊ ˚‧┈┈┈┈୨୧ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ୨୧┈┈┈┈‧ ˚ ₊⊹
MMC

About: Shaw Coleman, British, hockey player
Appearance: Dark hair, brown eyes, carved cheekbones, chiseled jaw, scruff
FMC
About: Camden Tinsley, pop star
Appearance: Redhead, dark green eyes, freckled nose, strong cheekbones, tattooed arm

⊹₊ ˚‧┈┈┈┈✦ ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ ✦┈┈┈┈‧ ˚ ₊⊹
Standalone
HEA
Vanilla smut
✦⚬───────────────────────────✧───────────────────────────⚬✦
Profile Image for Fanny.
111 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2026
I know it was supposed to be short and fun and that deep. but I felt no connection between the two characters. I only liked the first chapter. The fact that she perused him because he's her ex's rival is so bleeh I hoped it's going to be an organic "accident ".
Profile Image for BeeFaith.
302 reviews35 followers
February 13, 2026
Revenge was never so hot and sweet!

The Rival Upgrade hit the is a fast-paced, spicy novella that hit the spot!

Camden's an upcoming and coming singer who is opening a club. Overall, she's satisfied with her boyfriend, Eric, a professional hockey player. Although, the shine is starting to wear off, and the blemishes are starting to become more glaringly obvious. When she discovers he's been cheating, she decides the best way to get back at him is to hook up with his rival, hockey star, Shaw. What she doesn't expect is mutual attraction and fireworks to fly between them. How will Shaw feel when he finds out about her payback plan?

This novella, left me wanting more. I'd love to see how their relationship develops after the final page.

The audiobook is performed in duet, and Erin Mallon, Shane East, and Evan Parker perfectly captured their characters personalities.

The Rival Upgrade is part of Lauren Blakeley's Love and Hockey series, which has been on my TBR for a while now. After getting a taste of this world, I know I need to start this series ASAP!
Profile Image for Debbie Readsalotl Books.
1,079 reviews11 followers
February 13, 2026
Camden is dating Erik, a professional hockey player. Until she finds out he's cheating.

She's a strong, independent woman with a successful career in music. She's about to open her own club that is based on female performers. And, she's decided the best way to get over her ex is to get revenge on him. And the best way is by dating his biggest rival on the ice.

Lucky for her, Shaw feels the same way.

Lucky for both of them, they were already "coffee shop acquaintances" but neither of them had actually made a move. And now, it's definitely the right time.

Sweet Scale: 3/5
Spicy Scale: 3/5
Profile Image for Kimberly.
329 reviews20 followers
February 21, 2026
A FREE novella in The Love and Hockey Series 🥳

✅free eBook (Kindle via Amazon)
✅free audiobook (via Bookfunnel)

How to get your copy?
Check Lauren Blakely's website!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the story by Lauren Blakely
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 for the narration by Erin Mallon, Shane East and Evan Parker🎙️

What it is about:
What to do when you catch your hockey boyfriend cheating on you?
They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. 🤷‍♀️
Like... his hockey rival. 😉

What I loved:
🎡he is British - Shane's voice is just D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. 🥵
😈she is out for revenge 😏

What you need to know:
📚interconnected standalone, part of The Love and hockey Series
⌛novella (50')
🫂dual POV
🎙️duet narration, multi-cast
🏒hockey player x popstar
☕missed connection
💖he falls first, he falls H.A.R.D.
❤️HEA
Profile Image for Rebecca.
70 reviews1 follower
February 13, 2026
Great Short Story

This short story is about a young woman who kicks her no-good ex to the curb. It turns out that she is attracted to her ex’s rival in hockey and after her ex trash talks her on tv, she decides to get revenge by going out with the rival. This quickly becomes something more.

While the story was much too short, I still enjoyed it and will continue to wait for more new books by this author.
Profile Image for Michelle.
5 reviews
February 13, 2026
Couldn't Stop Reading.

Oh my goodness. I read this in one sitting. From beginning to end this book didn't fail. This book will be a reread. It was fun and couldn't stop reading. I wish I had a "Shaw".
1 review
February 13, 2026
Fabulous

Amazing story, just wish it was longer. Had so much potential as the characters were great and the story line was a really good one. But felt it ended as soon as it started
Good for a quick light read though
Profile Image for Amber.
91 reviews7 followers
February 19, 2026
Super cute short hockey novella! So glad Erik was short lived because I couldn’t stand the guy. Exactly what I was looking for… finished in one sitting. The audio was perfection! I love Lauren’s writing so much!
Profile Image for books.n.ash.
271 reviews7 followers
March 30, 2026
I just love this universe! Even the short stories are fantastic!

Cheating Pro Hockey Player Boyfriend, plus Rockstar musician, plus the exes opposing team rival for revenge dating/sex.

What more could you want!? Oh, and the new guy is British. *Swoon!*
Profile Image for Mandy BunBun.
47 reviews1 follower
February 13, 2026
Cute little novella

This was a great preview for the series. The revenge plan was super fun. I plan on reading more from this series.
Profile Image for Brittany Harville.
196 reviews11 followers
February 13, 2026
Super short but definitely another cute fun romance by her! Great for a quick cute in between read! Hockey player and rival to jerk ex-boyfriend of a famous singer is the perfect mic for revenge!
Profile Image for Amber Grube.
360 reviews4 followers
February 14, 2026
Getting sweet revenge on a cheating ex, way to go Camden. This was a short quick novella but had all the Lauren Blakely essence that I love!
Profile Image for MoonDust.
29 reviews
June 7, 2026
This was great for a novella, I now just want an entire book about them
Profile Image for Kady M.
364 reviews
February 18, 2026
3.5 ⭐

A perfect short story for when you need something quick that will make you smile! Lauren Blakely doesn't disappoint!
Profile Image for Jennifer  Minear.
31 reviews
March 31, 2026
Short, sweet, with a dash of spice. Only complaint... I wish it was longer 😩❤️
29 reviews
April 22, 2026
OK short read

This was an OK short read. While I can’t pinpoint exactly why I felt it was just OK, I still feel like it was a good FREE book. I wanted a quick read and this fit the bill.
Profile Image for Paige | bookmark.thispaige.
179 reviews10 followers
February 18, 2026
2.5/5

I was really enjoying this, but the last chapter was super rushed. I know this is supposed to be a short story, but a couple more chapters would have helped & it would have still been considered a short story. I needed more. They didn’t even get to know each other on page. He didn’t even know her name until page 30 of 48. 😩 I know they’re a fictional couple but I don’t think they’re going to last. 🫣
Profile Image for Mona Makhlouf.
194 reviews
April 9, 2026
This could have had so much potential but it was way too short. Even though she got to the point really quickly I didnt enjoy it as much as the rest of the series...Camden and Shaw were perfect for eachother though.
Profile Image for Sofia.
283 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2026
This was a super short book, it was a good read, but I think the author had a good storyline that she could’ve used to write a bigger story!
This was insta-love, when I looked again she was already his girlfriend!
I wished I could’ve seen a more longer scene where her ex is put in his place, but I liked it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for JoJo.
186 reviews
February 24, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I didn’t know this was a short story, I thought to myself “wow this is progressing pretty fast” and then it was over lol
For a short story it was really good, but this is a story I would’ve loved to have more of.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews