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Comeback Season
Not yet published
Expected 31 Mar 26Stella Anderson was forced to move from her home in southern Georgia to Saint Augustine University in Pennsylvania when an incident at a party left her struggling mentally and in need of a major change of scenery. Her plan focus on getting into grad school. No distractions. No boys.
Colton Crosby has built a name for himself as one of St. A’s most talented—and most lusted after—hockey players. While Colt appears to be the stereotypical, easy-going party boy on the surface, there’s more to him than meets the eye. Aspiring to be team captain next season, and hoping to get an NHL offer, all Colt wants to do is make his parents proud.
After a night of mistakes and bad first impressions, Stella and Colt are partnered up to work on a project for class, where they’re forced to spend time together. The two of them learn to help and heal one another, spending more time confiding in each other than working. That is, until Colt sustains a life-changing injury that has the potential to reverse everything they’ve worked to overcome.
Colton Crosby has built a name for himself as one of St. A’s most talented—and most lusted after—hockey players. While Colt appears to be the stereotypical, easy-going party boy on the surface, there’s more to him than meets the eye. Aspiring to be team captain next season, and hoping to get an NHL offer, all Colt wants to do is make his parents proud.
After a night of mistakes and bad first impressions, Stella and Colt are partnered up to work on a project for class, where they’re forced to spend time together. The two of them learn to help and heal one another, spending more time confiding in each other than working. That is, until Colt sustains a life-changing injury that has the potential to reverse everything they’ve worked to overcome.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoyed the story of Stella and Colt. It was emotional at times, funny, and full of spice. The relationship between Colt and Stella is hopeful and poignant. I absolutely love how open they were willing to be with each other. They took a chance on love and on each other when they both were so afraid of opening up to each was beautiful. I really liked how the author made emphasis on the mental health aspect of Colts story. It is an increasingly important topic to explore and as someone who has had to deal with mental health issues, I appreciated how this was handled. As Colt and Stella's relationship evolved, I really liked how they had such an open line of communication and instead of hiding their feeling when things got hard, they were open and honest. It brought hope to how a relationship should be. Overall, I found this story touching and at times found myself being emotional and also rooting for them. I can't wait to see how the author explored the other characters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read as an ARC, coming to KU on March 31st. This is a must read!! I really appreciated the mental health representation in this book. I felt like it did a great job explaining mental health from the side of the individual going through the difficulties as well as the perspectives of those who love that individual.
There were some spicy parts of this book, but they didn't take over the whole book.
Honestly, I could talk about this book for days, I enjoyed it that much.
There were some spicy parts of this book, but they didn't take over the whole book.
Honestly, I could talk about this book for days, I enjoyed it that much.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review - release date of March 31st, 2026
Part of a 5 book interconnected series!
✨ Summary ✨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
HEA: Yes
POV: Dual (Colt and Stella)
Tropes: Mental health rep, friends with benefits, new girl in town, anti-boyfriend, hockey star, injury, he falls first, forced proximity, grief, parental loss (not on page)
Synopses:
Stella Anderson was forced to move from her home in southern Georgia to St.Augustine University in Pennsylvania when an accident at a party left her struggling mentally. No boys, no distractions and get into grad school is her plan.
Colton Crosby has built a name for himself as the most talented player at St.A’s. Colt appears to be the stereotypical ladies man, but there’s more to him than what people think. He aspires to be captain next season and get an NHL offer. All he wants to do is make his parents proud.
Stella and Colt end up being partnered for a project for class where they are forced to spend time together. In this time, they learn to trust each other and confide in one another about their deepest hurts. Colt ends up sustaining a life altering injury that can ultimately change the trajectory of their relationship. They have even more to overcome now.
My thoughts:
I loved this book! It was an easy read, but still had good world building and character development. I absolutely loved that mental health was a really big theme in this book! There continues to be such a big stigma around mental health, especially around men and professional sports! We are all human and need to take care of ourselves head to toe! There were tears shed both in sadness and joy!
As Sarah’s first novel, this was a good start! There was enough spice and plot building at the same time! I do wish that after the big conflict, there was a little more resolution on Colt’s end. I wish we saw more of his recovery in terms of him having to rebuild his life and relationships.
Everyone genuinely needs a Colt in their life. He is loyal to everyone his loves, no questions asked! He did everything he possibly could to show her that not all men fell into the category of men she has been shown in life. I think Sarah did an amazing job of making that a huge theme as well. She also did an amazing job of showing the push back from Stella! She also does a really good job of making the grief be relatable and real. She truly makes the character go through it and not just push it to the way side.
I want to thank Sarah, the author, for allowing me to read this before the release! I’m so excited to read the others!
Part of a 5 book interconnected series!
✨ Summary ✨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
HEA: Yes
POV: Dual (Colt and Stella)
Tropes: Mental health rep, friends with benefits, new girl in town, anti-boyfriend, hockey star, injury, he falls first, forced proximity, grief, parental loss (not on page)
Synopses:
Stella Anderson was forced to move from her home in southern Georgia to St.Augustine University in Pennsylvania when an accident at a party left her struggling mentally. No boys, no distractions and get into grad school is her plan.
Colton Crosby has built a name for himself as the most talented player at St.A’s. Colt appears to be the stereotypical ladies man, but there’s more to him than what people think. He aspires to be captain next season and get an NHL offer. All he wants to do is make his parents proud.
Stella and Colt end up being partnered for a project for class where they are forced to spend time together. In this time, they learn to trust each other and confide in one another about their deepest hurts. Colt ends up sustaining a life altering injury that can ultimately change the trajectory of their relationship. They have even more to overcome now.
My thoughts:
I loved this book! It was an easy read, but still had good world building and character development. I absolutely loved that mental health was a really big theme in this book! There continues to be such a big stigma around mental health, especially around men and professional sports! We are all human and need to take care of ourselves head to toe! There were tears shed both in sadness and joy!
As Sarah’s first novel, this was a good start! There was enough spice and plot building at the same time! I do wish that after the big conflict, there was a little more resolution on Colt’s end. I wish we saw more of his recovery in terms of him having to rebuild his life and relationships.
Everyone genuinely needs a Colt in their life. He is loyal to everyone his loves, no questions asked! He did everything he possibly could to show her that not all men fell into the category of men she has been shown in life. I think Sarah did an amazing job of making that a huge theme as well. She also did an amazing job of showing the push back from Stella! She also does a really good job of making the grief be relatable and real. She truly makes the character go through it and not just push it to the way side.
I want to thank Sarah, the author, for allowing me to read this before the release! I’m so excited to read the others!
Review of advance copy
This was my first sports romance — and somehow it completely pulled me in… and I don’t even like sports.
What surprised me most about this book was how much emotional depth it had. Yes, it’s a college hockey romance. Yes, it’s sweet and romantic. But it’s also layered with grief, trauma, healing, and mental health in a way that felt intentional and grounded.
Both Stella and Colt carry real emotional baggage into college. Stella is guarded for understandable reasons and has a hard time trusting men. Colt has experienced profound loss at a young age and it shapes how he moves through the world. I appreciated that his therapy journey was openly discussed — including his continued struggles and the process of coming off medication under medical guidance. That representation felt responsible and human rather than dramatized.
While their relationship develops fairly quickly, it didn’t feel unrealistic to me. Sometimes connection does move fast when two people meet at the right time in their lives. What mattered more was how they showed up for each other — especially when life threw unexpected challenges their way.
And there were definitely moments that caught me off guard emotionally. I don’t tear up easily when reading, but this book got me a few times. The twists added weight and prevented the story from feeling like a straightforward, predictable romance. The obstacles weren’t just minor misunderstandings — they forced real growth.
The spice was well done in my opinion. Present and meaningful, but not over-the-top or excessive. The intimate scenes felt like an extension of their emotional connection rather than just being included for shock value.
If you enjoy:
• College romance
• Hockey/sports romance
• Trauma and healing arcs
• Mental health representation
• Emotional twists
• Moderate, well-written spice
This is absolutely worth picking up.
As someone new to the sports romance genre, this book completely opened that door for me.
What surprised me most about this book was how much emotional depth it had. Yes, it’s a college hockey romance. Yes, it’s sweet and romantic. But it’s also layered with grief, trauma, healing, and mental health in a way that felt intentional and grounded.
Both Stella and Colt carry real emotional baggage into college. Stella is guarded for understandable reasons and has a hard time trusting men. Colt has experienced profound loss at a young age and it shapes how he moves through the world. I appreciated that his therapy journey was openly discussed — including his continued struggles and the process of coming off medication under medical guidance. That representation felt responsible and human rather than dramatized.
While their relationship develops fairly quickly, it didn’t feel unrealistic to me. Sometimes connection does move fast when two people meet at the right time in their lives. What mattered more was how they showed up for each other — especially when life threw unexpected challenges their way.
And there were definitely moments that caught me off guard emotionally. I don’t tear up easily when reading, but this book got me a few times. The twists added weight and prevented the story from feeling like a straightforward, predictable romance. The obstacles weren’t just minor misunderstandings — they forced real growth.
The spice was well done in my opinion. Present and meaningful, but not over-the-top or excessive. The intimate scenes felt like an extension of their emotional connection rather than just being included for shock value.
If you enjoy:
• College romance
• Hockey/sports romance
• Trauma and healing arcs
• Mental health representation
• Emotional twists
• Moderate, well-written spice
This is absolutely worth picking up.
As someone new to the sports romance genre, this book completely opened that door for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you Sarah for the ARC read for a review!
This was such a good read. I went in expecting a fun college sports romance, and I got so much more. Comeback Season gives us hockey golden boy meets a guarded, no-nonsense heroine, and the tension? Brilliant.
Colt surprised me in the best way. On paper he screams cocky campus heartbreaker, but there’s way more depth to him than the reputation suggests. And Stella? I adored her. She’s strong without being cold, vulnerable without being whiny, and watching her slowly let her guard down had me fully invested. Colt, hands down, became my favourite character by far.
The chemistry between them builds so naturally. It’s flirty, it’s charged, but it also has real emotional weight behind it. I loved that this wasn’t just about attraction; it was about trust, growth, and both of them confronting messy, complicated feelings.
I did feel that there were a few holes left open... maybe on purpose? We are introduced to so many characters as if there will be a series on them too... and I'm excited for that!
I wish I could say more, but I would absolutely be spoiling too much. Give it a read if you want something with a little more depth than your average hockey romance, but please check the trigger warnings. It gets deep in some places, which is definitely not a bad thing, but there are mentions of losing both parents, SA, and sports injuries and such.
Don't let that put you off, though! Give it a go. It's a brillant start to what I hope will be a series <3
This was such a good read. I went in expecting a fun college sports romance, and I got so much more. Comeback Season gives us hockey golden boy meets a guarded, no-nonsense heroine, and the tension? Brilliant.
Colt surprised me in the best way. On paper he screams cocky campus heartbreaker, but there’s way more depth to him than the reputation suggests. And Stella? I adored her. She’s strong without being cold, vulnerable without being whiny, and watching her slowly let her guard down had me fully invested. Colt, hands down, became my favourite character by far.
The chemistry between them builds so naturally. It’s flirty, it’s charged, but it also has real emotional weight behind it. I loved that this wasn’t just about attraction; it was about trust, growth, and both of them confronting messy, complicated feelings.
I did feel that there were a few holes left open... maybe on purpose? We are introduced to so many characters as if there will be a series on them too... and I'm excited for that!
I wish I could say more, but I would absolutely be spoiling too much. Give it a read if you want something with a little more depth than your average hockey romance, but please check the trigger warnings. It gets deep in some places, which is definitely not a bad thing, but there are mentions of losing both parents, SA, and sports injuries and such.
Don't let that put you off, though! Give it a go. It's a brillant start to what I hope will be a series <3
Review of advance copy received from Author
I legitimately could not put this book down! We have all read and loved a million college hockey romances, so I went into Comeback Season by Sarah Adkins thinking I knew exactly what I was getting. Boy, was I wrong; it is just so good, and it completely blew me away.
The setup sounds classic: Stella is trying to keep her head down and avoid boys after transferring to St. Augustine University to escape her tragic past, but gets stuck on a class project with #14 Colton Crosby, the star of the hockey team. Forced proximity at its finest!
But you guys, I completely, hopelessly fell in love with Colt. On paper, he is the stereotypical, lusted-after party boy. But the depth he actually has? He is just a guy trying to make his parents proud and carrying so much weight on his shoulders. Watching these two slowly drop their walls and actually heal each other, rather than just work on their project, was beautiful.
Without giving anything away, life delivers a massive, blindside hit, and the emotional journey they go on is so incredibly real. It has the perfect amount of swoony, fun moments, but it also gets incredibly deep.
Easiest 5 stars ever! Since this is the start of the St. A Knights series, I am already so freaking excited for books 2 through 5. Bring them on!
A massive thank you to Sarah Adkins for the privilege of reading this ARC!
The puck drops on March 31st! Drop everything and add Comeback Season to your Goodreads TBR right now so you don't miss it!
The setup sounds classic: Stella is trying to keep her head down and avoid boys after transferring to St. Augustine University to escape her tragic past, but gets stuck on a class project with #14 Colton Crosby, the star of the hockey team. Forced proximity at its finest!
But you guys, I completely, hopelessly fell in love with Colt. On paper, he is the stereotypical, lusted-after party boy. But the depth he actually has? He is just a guy trying to make his parents proud and carrying so much weight on his shoulders. Watching these two slowly drop their walls and actually heal each other, rather than just work on their project, was beautiful.
Without giving anything away, life delivers a massive, blindside hit, and the emotional journey they go on is so incredibly real. It has the perfect amount of swoony, fun moments, but it also gets incredibly deep.
Easiest 5 stars ever! Since this is the start of the St. A Knights series, I am already so freaking excited for books 2 through 5. Bring them on!
A massive thank you to Sarah Adkins for the privilege of reading this ARC!
The puck drops on March 31st! Drop everything and add Comeback Season to your Goodreads TBR right now so you don't miss it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Positive male mental health representation, healthy male friendships, and no painfully slow burn (chapter 10, people!!)?? Yes, please. Thank you, Sarah, for giving the people what we want!
But seriously, this was such a cute, spicy college hockey romance that managed to touch on deeper topics in a respectful and thoughtful way — while still keeping things fun and lighthearted (which, let’s be real, I can’t do too serious in these kinda books).
Fair warning: If you’re anything like me, you will genuinely fall in love with all the characters, and so when it becomes kind of an emotional rollercoaster, it’ll make you wanna yell at the author on behalf of your favs (or at least I did).
I cannot wait for the next story (waiting not so patiently for Beau’s book!!). I mean what a first book to read from what might be my new favorite author!!
But seriously, this was such a cute, spicy college hockey romance that managed to touch on deeper topics in a respectful and thoughtful way — while still keeping things fun and lighthearted (which, let’s be real, I can’t do too serious in these kinda books).
Fair warning: If you’re anything like me, you will genuinely fall in love with all the characters, and so when it becomes kind of an emotional rollercoaster, it’ll make you wanna yell at the author on behalf of your favs (or at least I did).
I cannot wait for the next story (waiting not so patiently for Beau’s book!!). I mean what a first book to read from what might be my new favorite author!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc Review
Release Date March 31st
Dual POV
HEA
5⭐️
3.5 🌶️
Banter
Spice
Found family
Mental health rep
Grief healing
Hockey romance
College romance
He falls first and hard
A little about Comeback Season
Stella Anderson was forced to move from her home in southern Georgia to Saint Augustine University in Pennsylvania when an incident at a party left her struggling mentally and in need of a major change of scenery. Her plan now: focus on getting into grad school. No distractions. No boys.
Colton Crosby has built a name for himself as one of St.
A's most talented-and most lusted after-hockey players. While Colt appears to be the stereotypical, easy-going party boy on the surface, there's more to him than meets the eye.
Over all this was a great book with banter, spice, found family and raw emotion. Definitely worth a read!
Can’t wait to read book 2!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I would like to say I genuinely couldn’t put this book down! Colton is a reformed playboy turned straight simp for Stella. Both individuals come from pretty crappy pasts that definitely inhibit the relationship in their own unique ways. Both are able to fully commit right before tragedy strikes. This book will break you and finally heal you by the end! This book was so personable and deep all in the best ways. This story will be hands down my top 5 of 2026!
Spice: 3.5/5
Banter: 4/5
Plot 5/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Banter: 4/5
Plot 5/5
Review of advance copy received from Author
A spicy hockey college romance book with a couple that uses HEALTHY COMMUNICATION ???? YES PLEASE. a book that talks about men’s mental health ??? YES PLEASE. a book with a male friendship so sweet it’ll bring you to tears ??? YES PLEASE !! my girl Sarah you did so amazing with this💙
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m so excited (and also nervous) to finally get this out in the world!!🫶🏼🏒 Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way!!
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