Between the Pages and the Rink

by Meadow Thompson

Genres: Why Choose, Hockey

553 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 31, 2026

Reviews

[Rainbowlovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing debut novel from Meadow Thompson, I was hooked from the start and I didn't want to put it down as I needed to know what was going to happen.

The characters are relatable, you can't help but feel their joy and pain.
Fawn is the perfect FMC - she has flaws, she has insecurities, she has doubts and because of this you can see yourself in her and that makes you want to root for her right from the start.

Dylan is a golden retriever, with a dominant edge and wow am I here for that. He's the comedic relief in the friendship pairing of him and Torin and his heart is as pure as they come and needs to be protected at all costs.

Torin is a harder nut to crack, the silent brooding type who'd rather work through his feelings using his fists than talking. But underneath all of the armour he's got a soft spot for his best friend and Fawn.

The chemistry between the three of them is off the charts, and I'm so glad Meadow made this a why choose because the thought of one of them being left out just isn't an option. And yes while the burn is a little slow, when it hits it hits hard and is just wow.
The chemistry isn't only physical but emotional as well, Dylan, Torin and Fawn bring out the best version of each other. Supporting one another through the good times and the bad.

The storyline is engaging, and I'm not going to spoil much about it but the twist towards the end was unexpected and made me really hate a side character so much (if you know, you know).


What you will find inside this book:
❤️ Why Choose
❤️ Character POV
❤️ Ice Hockey Players x Writer
❤️ Nicknames
❤️ Small Town
❤️ Slow Burn, but when it hits - IT Hits! 🥵
❤️ Protective MMCs
❤️ An FMC Learning To Accept Her Body
❤️ PCOS Rep
❤️ Friends to Lovers
❤️ Golden Retriever x Grumpy Mysterious MMCs
❤️ Aftercare Kings
❤️ Banter
❤️ Tender Moments
❤️ Sweet & Pure Love
❤️ Great Side Characters (I'm hoping we get more Cal & Delilah)
❤️ 5 Star Read
❤️ HEAs

If you're looking for a read that will have you gripped from the start, the look no further. Meadow has you covered and trust me you will not be disappointed.

[Emilie Fernstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

Thank you to Meadow Thompson for the ARC of Between the Pages and the Rink.

Overall, this was an okay read for me. The concept had a lot of potential, and there were definitely moments I enjoyed, but there were quite a few things that just didn’t fully line up.

The biggest issue for me was how fast the romance moved. There was zero slow burn not even a hint of it. The feelings escalated almost instantly, and it felt rushed rather than earned. I had a hard time buying into such deep emotions when the characters had just met. On top of that, the two MMCs were suddenly completely fine being in a relationship with Fawn with little to no real discussion. That felt like a major leap that deserved more depth and communication.

I was also thrown off by the club hockey aspect. They’re 26 and 30 years old playing on a club team, yet somehow have enough financial stability to help Fawn with her grandfather’s nursing home expenses — despite being a rink manager and a mechanic, not pro hockey players. Speaking of that, it was never clearly explained how Fawn figured out she was going to pay for her grandpa’s care in the first place. Those loose ends made the timeline and financial logistics feel unrealistic.

Cal also surprised me. At the beginning, I thought he was going to play a much bigger role in the story, but he ended up not really having much importance beyond quickly hooking up with Fawn’s friend. That felt like a missed opportunity.

And the ax-throwing date… I’m still not sure what that was. It just added to the overall feeling that everything was happening fast and without much grounding.

Then Fawn moves in after only 3–4 months? Again, it just felt rushed. The pacing overall made it hard for me to fully connect with the romance.

That said, the twist with the coach being the bad guy was genuinely interesting and probably my favorite part of the book. I didn’t fully see that coming, and it added some much-needed tension.

In the end, this wasn’t a bad read it just felt like it needed more development, stronger pacing, and tighter explanations to really land for me. A solid 3 stars.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between the Pages and the Rink is a slow burn, why choose hockey romance. The beginning of the book started off with Fawn doing research for her upcoming novel. To do this, she reached out the local hockey team coach to sit in on practices and interview some of the players. The first day she went to practice, two players, Dylan Crawley and Torin Anderson caught her eye. After some brief interaction with them, she's invited out to the bar where things get tense for Fawn as her ex boyfriend shows up. Both Dylan and Torin help defend her. After that night, the friendship between them seems to move pretty quickly and I felt that the romantic relationship that did eventually form between Fawn, Dylan, and Torin was genuine. The communication between Dylan and Torin regarding their feelings for Fawn was awesome and I felt that both proved to be attentive to Fawn equally.

While I did enjoy the romance in it, one part that I found I wanted more information on was Dylan and Torin's own attraction to one another. It's touched on briefly, but all I know is that I wanted more details while reading. While I get that the book is "why choose", I was wondering if the moments between just the two of them was a "bi-awakening" moment for them. Either way, I felt that this added more meaning to how important Torin and Dylan were to each other. I also felt that them having each other was good for when the relationship became complicated with Fawn.

The part that made me sad was Fawn's grandfather being in the nursing home as my grandfather is currently in a nursing home due to dementia This part definitely added a personal aspect to it.

Overall, this book was a 4/5 for me, 2/5 for spice. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading why choose romance, love triangle, mm intimacy (there's very little besides kissing and some grinding), hockey romances, and romantic suspense. There is also PCOS representation for readers who experience that on a daily basis.

Thank you Joffe Books & Meadow Thompson for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Becsbooks21x · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5☆
Firstly, congratulations Meadow on your debut book!
It is a hockey why choose romance. From someone who hasn't read loads of them I really enjoyed it. You definitely go on an emotional rollercoaster and I found that I related to Fawn a lot in so many ways.

Fawn is an author trying to get inspiration and research for her upcoming book- a hockey romance. It made me laugh at how little knowledge she had about the sport to begin with. She ends up going to a local Rink to interview some of the players which is where she meets Dylan and Torin. I adored both of these MMCs and agree with Fawn at why choose one when you can have them both? 😏

The PCOS representation was really nice to see as a fellow girlie who suffers, it's nice to see it highlighted and the struggles you can go through. Fawn has been hurt and holds some emotional scares from her douche bag ex (seriously hes a prick) and I love how these two men come in and help her see that she is beautiful.

You can't mention the book without mentioning the beautiful relationship Fawn has with her Grandpa. Losing my Grandad was one of the hardest things I have ever dealt with and seeing Fawn love him so much and willing to do anything to help him was so heartwarming as it reminded me so much of my relationship with mine. The dementia representation was also lovely to see as it runs through my family as well and my nan is currently going through it.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was such a nice heart warming read. I have loved being apart of Meadows street team and seeing this book become what it has and trad published I am very proud of her. 🫶🏼💜

Thank you Meadow, @lunarliteraryagency and @choclituk
for the ARC on this book for an honest review.

[Ella bookishgymgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

STOP because Fawn, Dylan and Torin have actually altered my brain chemistry 😭⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Between the Pages and the Rink by Meadow Thompson is a FIVE STAR read and I will not be accepting counter-arguments!!

Fawn??? I adored her. She’s soft but not weak, thoughtful but not passive, and watching her navigate her feelings while staying true to herself felt so real. I just wanted to wrap her up and also shake her (with love) a few times.

And then we have the two very different but equally down-bad men:

Dylan, our ADHD golden retriever energy personified. He’s chaotic in the most endearing way, says what he feels, loves loudly, and brings this warmth and light into every scene he’s in. The way he shows up for Fawn? My heart. He’s sunshine, he’s softness, he’s “I would absolutely send you 14 random voice notes a day.”

And Torin??? GRUMPY. Strong. Quiet intensity. The slow-burn tension with him was insane. Every look felt loaded. Every small protective gesture meant something. He doesn’t say much but when he does? It hits. The emotional depth beneath that hard exterior absolutely wrecked me.

The dynamic between the three of them was what made this book so addictive. It wasn’t just “who will she choose?” (Spoiler alert: BOTH!) it was layered, emotional, complicated. You feel the pull in different ways. The contrast between Dylan’s golden retriever chaos and Torin’s controlled strength created such a delicious tension that I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

Thank you for this amazing opportunity to beta read this book Meadow! Can’t wait for everyone to love the characters as much as I do! 🤍

[Tishelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌 - 𝑴𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒔𝒐𝒏 ✍️🏑

OUT MARCH 31st

🏑 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲
📖𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
🏑𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
📖𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘅 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿

As soon as I saw ice hockey romcance and two men at once, sign me up!! 🤭 i enjoyed this to the point I couldn’t put it down.

Fawn was the sweetest fmc with a little feistiness to her, also an author who has pcos. I could definitely tell she’s on the shy side and always second guessing herself and I was wait for her to break that shell, and realise she’s worth it and she did. She’s protective of those she loves

Dylan the cocky, outgoing hockey captain. It did take me a while to warm up to him and can’t pinpoint why. That being said he brought the fun to the trio, his banter, dancing and his love of shakira songs , but he loved fawn so fiercely and that showed.

Torin!!! Yeah I’m a torin girlie now, I was instantly drawn to him he’s quiet, mysterious, full of trauma. He appears grumpy but he’s such a teddy bear once you read but he’s friendly protective of those he loves . ( who hurt you type of guy 😏)

Now while I really enjoyed , the book and couldn’t put it down, some spicy scenes was a bit too much and kind of slowly became the main focus and also things happened a little bit fast on the instant romance/ connection side of the things. I also wanted to see some more hockey aspect and I little more about fawn and her being an author.

Thank you lunaliteary and choc.lit for letting me ready this early. 🩵

[Abby Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

One romance author. Two hockey players. Endless heat ✍🏼⛸️🥵

Hockey romance and why choose? I was immediately interested in reading Between the Pages and the Rink when I first heard about it! This was such a cute read, but with two hot hockey players in the mix, I knew this book would bring the heat – and it did! 😮‍💨🔥

Dylan gives playful golden retriever energy, while Torin comes across quieter and more reserved. But the one thing they share is the love and devotion they have for their girl, Fawn. If I had to choose, I would say I am a Torin girlie… but luckily for Fawn, she doesn’t have to pick, which is the dream – am I right? 😜

I really appreciated how the story balanced real-life struggles with the developing romance. Watching Fawn grow from shy and self-conscious into someone confident and empowered once she learns what it feels like to be truly valued and adored was such a satisfying character arc.

Let me tell you, the spice was spicy!🌶️🌶️
It was steamy, well-written, and perfectly woven into the story. Yes, the romance heats up quickly, but I loved reading about how the characters’ feelings developed and how the three of them navigated their relationship together.

Thank you to Meadow Thompson and Luna Literary Management for the ARC 🫶🏼 I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

[Lauren Curley · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶 - Spice Level

This story is an MFM set in a small town that has a great nursing home program and a minor hockey team. The FMC is a plus sized romance writer onto her second book and paying for grandpa's care from book 1 royalties. The two MMCs are a part of the local, minor hockey team, but have side jobs as rink manager and a mobile mechanic. One MMC has a trust fund, the other was in the military right out of high school for a 5-6 year contract and is now a veteran, so he's an older athlete. I mention all of this due to the unbelievable parts of this story line.

The book was a bit slow and I wasn't connecting with the characters and it had do to all the unbelievable pieces above. This story felt like it was written for conflicts sake; a small town that wouldn't accept polyamory or a throuple, a plus size gal, and a great, but an expensive nursing home.

If this had been set in a larger city, minus the military service for one of the guys, and small town closed minded town folk; this may have been more of a hit for me. The spice was good, but it can't be the only thing to keep this storyline floating especially for over 500 pages.

Thank you author and Joffee Books.
Release Date: 3-31-26

[Beany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly felt like this book had so much potential, but the execution didn’t really work for me. The pacing felt rushed, especially when it came to the romance. There wasn’t much chemistry or development, and suddenly Fawn was just… into Dylan and Torin out of nowhere.

At first I thought the story was building towards Fawn and Cal, which honestly would have made more sense to me. Their dynamic had more potential, so when the story suddenly shifted directions, it just felt confusing.

Fawn’s character also didn’t really work for me. She came across as a bit of an attention seeker and I found her pretty annoying at times, which made it harder to root for her. The romance felt forced rather than natural.

Another thing that stood out was the weird pacing of the chapters. Some chapters were normal, but then chapter 24 and chapter 42 were ridiculously long, which made the reading experience feel uneven.

✨ Overall Thoughts
I could see what the author was trying to do, and the concept of mixing books, hockey, and romance actually sounded really fun. Unfortunately, the relationships lacked development and the story felt messy and rushed. There’s definitely an interesting idea here, but the execution didn’t fully land for me.

[Yazmin Stone 🤍 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ BETA REVIEW: I was lucky enough to work with Meadow and beta read this beauty from chapter 1 🥹 so when i tell you this story means everything to me i mean it!! This story is so beautifully written and captures some deeper topics, sizzling hot spice & the most wholesome romance perfectly. I related to Fawn so much in this and i think thats why i love her so much, don’t get me wrong i adore Dylan & Torin but no-one beats my girl Fawn. Dylans story was extremely heartbreaking but Meadow captured it in the most perfect way to the point where you could physically feel the emotions they felt. Torin is just a dream let’s be real, whilst Dylan is the fun sunshine joker with a sensitive heart Torin is the panty melting, husky, brooding one that you can’t help but fall for. This book will forever hold a special place in my heart because there characters are my literal babies and the fact that its over breaks my heart every single day. Please please please pick this up on release day because i promise you that you will never have read a why choose like it this is truly one of a kind!

[Alison turton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly ticked off a lot of boxes when it comes to hockey romance,

I mean you’ve got one MMC who is full to the brim of all that sweet, exuberance and gives off major golden retriever vibes. You’ve got another MMC who is all about the stoic, grumpy selectively mute vibes where he’s only soft for her and then you’ve got the sweeter than sugar FMC who is more than a little awkward and has no idea how she suddenly lay has the attention of not one, but two hockey gods. I mean what’s a girl to do? The relationship between the 3 MCs is super sweet and full of steamy, spicy scenes that are sure to make you a little hot under the collar. They each bring something different to the relationship supporting each other in sweet and surprising ways, and the end result is a relationship that truly works.

This book was a really great read, there’s plenty of love and lust and more than a little drama and a plot twist or two so if you love hockey romance, or you just fancy something easy going to read then this is the book for you.

[Lra]

Fawn es una escritora que apenas está aprendiendo a creer en sí misma después de una relación abusiva. Su primer libro funcionó y ahora tiene que demostrar que no fue suerte. Para eso decide meterse en un mundo que no conoce: hockey sobre hielo.

Lo que no esperaba era que ese hielo frío la hiciera sentir tantas cosas. Un capitán encantador que sonríe como si el mundo le perteneciera. Un jugador callado con mirada oscura que parece cargar con mucho dolor.

Fawn solo quiere observar, tomar notas y marcharse a casa. Pero la pista no es solo un lugar para practicar deporte, es un campo minado de emociones, deseo y recuerdos que ella juró no volver a tener. Y mientras intenta cumplir la promesa de mantenerse alejada de los hombres, su corazón parece no haber firmado ese acuerdo.

Gracias NetGalley por el ARC.

[Beth Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hockey why choose romance book was more than I expected and met all of my expectations! I found myself laughing, crying and blushing. I loved that the book included representation of depression, ADHD, PCOS and dementia highlighting that everyone has their differences and struggles.

This book follows Fawn Higgins, our sarcastic and shy queen who is needing inspiration for her next hockey romance novel. Knowing nothing about hockey she ends up at the local ice rink to observe and interview players. This is where she meets Dylan and Torin.

Dylan who is the arrogant, cocky, life of the party golden retriever and Torin who is broody, silent closed off but caring only for them. I adored all 3 of these characters and I mean with 2 men falling at your feet who could say no?

I loved this book and definitely recommend that you buy it when it’s released on March 31st!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between the Pages and the Rink follows Fawn, a writer needing research for book two... which is where two very sexy hockey players come in. They meet at the rink, followed by a bar crawl, and become inseparable.

Fawn is a relatable FMC with real flaws and anxieties, thanks in part to her awful ex (seriously, why do we all have a crappy ex called Jason?). Dylan is a golden retriever MMC, funny, sweet, dances to Shakira daily, and loves so big! Torin is grumpy, mysterious, only really talks to people he likes, and has a sad past, so obviously he's my favorite.

The story was great, the spice was mouthwatering (that office scene), and I can't wait to see what Meadow Thompson writes next, hopefully Delilah and Cal.

[Jocelyn Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between the pages and the rink by @authormeadowthompson 5/5 this book was amzaing . This is my new fave hockey book . And two man sign me up , i finished this book at 3 am like I couldn’t put it down . Fawn is such an amazing girl she’s shy yet a little feisty she’s a romance author with pcos. Dylan made me laugh so much with his dancing but him being overprotective of fawn made me love him more he’s cocky by soft . Torin seem so mean but he really is a soft teddy bear with trauma but we love him and he don’t play about fawn or his truck . There relationship is everything there silly but loving for each other and the spicy omg I love this book so much

[Emma Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute and well written debut novel. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I'm loving all the sports romance novels that are around at the moment and Between The Pages And The Rink certainly didn't disappoint. The story was easy to follow and had good pacing. There was a great cast of characters that were believable and likeable, I also loved the chemistry between the main characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
🩷 Thank you to Bloodline books, the author, Meadow Thompson and Bloodline Books for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall solid debut novel. There were many things I liked and a few I didn’t.

A little twist to the typical why choose MFM with the bad guy being someone close to the men. Usually it’s the person close to the woman. I very much enjoyed this as I wasn’t expecting that.

The story moved quickly which was nice and did pull me out of a slump, you got some character development from all of them but could have had a little more. We missed a big piece on how Fawn’s grandpa was and how she pas for care before her next big novel.

The passion and smut was there and I wish wish wish there was a little more between Torin and Dylan because it was there from the start that they could have been more.

[Liz Martinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looooved this book!! Why have one hot hockey player when you can have two?!

The spice was great, but the story was even better. I laughed (sexually exhausted jello?!), I cried (the robins!!!), and I completely fell in love with these characters. As someone with ADHD myself, I especially appreciated the representation—it felt authentic and really added another layer to the story.

I’m so grateful I got the chance to read this one early because it was such a fun, emotional ride. Definitely add this to your TBR for March 31st—you’re going to want to pick this one up!

[Charlotte Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided for honest feedback.

This is a debut from Meadow Thompson and I was super into the concept!

However unfortunately the writing style just wasn't for me, I felt like all of the characters inner monologues were way too long and repetitive and it really drew me out of the story. That said, I think I might be in the minority for that.

Some of the characters were great, and I enjoyed what we saw of Cal and Delilah. Fawn is adorable.

I look forward to seeing what this writer does with her next novels and hope we see these characters again!

[Mak yannerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤 Between the Pages and the Rink Review 🖤

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s a really cute, wholesome hockey romance… that also happens to be filthy. I was not expecting that level of spice going in, but it worked.

The writing was solid and the story was easy to sink into. As my first hockey romance, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it ended up being a really fun read. Sweet, steamy, and overall just a good time.

I do feel as if the story was rushed, while it was a long book. It lacked I don’t know? Connection. I guess. But was still a good read!

4 stars from me.

[Gabrielle Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I don’t even know where to start with this one! As soon as I saw hockey romance with two men, I was immediately interested and flew through this book.

Fawn is a shy romance author helping pay for her grandfather’s care, and I loved watching her grow more confident. Dylan brings fun and banter, while Torin was my favorite — quiet, grumpy, but secretly a teddy bear.

The romance felt a little fast at times, but overall it was a fun, steamy small-town hockey romance with a great throuple dynamic.

⭐ 3.5–4 stars

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

BETA REVIEW ✨

Working with Meadow on this for the last year has been amazing, she’s a fantastic writer and she always kept me guessing on what was going to happen 😂
Torin, Dylan and Fawn individually are amazing characters who make you root for them to get their HEA but together they’re so much more, I love their energy, their passion for each other, honestly I loved everything

Thank you so much for entrusting me with your work, I’m so excited for what’s next 🫶🏻

[Stacy Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between the Pages and the Rink is a hockey player/romance author, friends to lover, M FM Relationship, protective MMC's, grumpy/ golden retriever/sunshine, Why choose romance. This book hits so many emotions throughout it. The banter is great, the protectiveness is heartwarming and the love is felt.Three people find love and happiness. While healing each other from loss, past trauma and blackmail.

[Teddy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the relationship between Dylan and Torin growing with their relationship with Fawn. There is a twist that had me throwing my kindle. Beware the third act breakup, which while I hate that. I do feel it was good for this book because we got to see each character mourn with the breakup it made them getting back together so much sweeter.

[jas smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE WHY CHOOSE! This book was so good, so much comfort and acceptance between all the main characters. The whole thing was devoured and i definitely recommend. I just love when you have boyfriends and those boyfriends kiss!!

[Jennifer Squillante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honored that I had the chance to BETA read Meadow’s debut novel. And let me tell you, the emotional ride that she takes you on is one of heartbreak and healing.

[☆Laura☆]

RTC


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.