Face Off

D.C. Stars #1

by Chelsea Curto

Emerson (Emmy) Hartwell has waited for a spot on an NHL roster since she became a professional hockey player, and this season, she’ll finally get a chance to showcase her talents with the struggling D.C. Stars.

Maverick Miller is the best player in the league, but he’s never had a winning record. Team captain and desperate to turn things around, he agrees to play nice with the fiery new left-winger even though they’re total opposites.

After a night where the tension between them reaches a tipping point and they fall in bed together, Emmy and Maverick vow it was only one time. Just once to get it out of their systems so they can play better and help their team.

It doesn’t mean anything. She doesn’t date hockey players. He’s a notorious playboy who doesn’t date. Period.

Except… what should’ve been just once happens again, then again. They tell each other their friends with benefits arrangement is only for the season, but despite facing off on the ice, behind closed doors, the pair is nothing but fire.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Sports, Hockey Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance

464 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2024

About the author

Chelsea is a flight attendant and romance author who writes fun, fresh and flirty love stories with plenty of spice. When she's not making fictional characters banter for twenty chapters before they finally kiss or serving chicken or pasta on an airplane, you can find her trying to pet as many dogs as she can.


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Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely DEVOURED this. I can’t get over how much I adored this book! I was in desperate need of a good sports romance series and this WAS IT!!! I giggled and kicked my feet the whole time, could not put this down!

This man….. MAVERICK MILLER!!! I’m done for. A pathetically obsessed golden retriever man with trauma, yeah no, take me away. Oh my god the way he loves Emmy, I cannot. THE MOUTH ON HIM?!!!! Emmy gives black cat energy and he loves how mean she is to him, the BANTERRRRR!!! They both play on the same NHL hockey team and the tension is scrumptious! Also an acts of service KING!!!

This man literally beat the ahitnout of her awful ex and got thrown out of the hockey game and before he got off the ice he looked at her with blood all over his face and smiled. FUCKING SMILED.

The found family in this too. No stop I love them all I can’t wait to read the other books! The wait all the guys on the team love Emmy so much, I die. No I’m dead.

No his mouth had my soul leaving my body. A man who begs >>>

“You said you wanted me on my knees. And I’ve always liked being a good boy.”

“Am I being good, Emmy? Good enough to touch the rest of you?”

Him describing falling in love with her: “It’s almost like I can’t breathe, and it only gets worse the longer I look. The sensation expands behind my ribs and takes up all the space in my head.”

Yeah no I’m obsessed.

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ New favourite sports romance series unlocked (obsessed)

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy… where do I even start here. Quite possibly the best hockey romance I have ever read. From page 1 this book had me HOOKED, and it did not stop until the very last page. Emmy girl and Maverick was everything I could have ever asked for and more. WOW.

[SK · Rating 2 out of 5]

My last read for the year 2025 and one so disappointing. I found this to be so over hyped. It started off decent and nice but soon lost its rhythm. It lacked substance for me and trying too hard. The pacing dragged for me. The found family was not doing it for me either. But I did enjoy the group chats.

I didn't connect to the characters or the story at all. Maverick was a play boy and I did occasionally like his sweet gestures and smitten thoughts. But he's so forgettable, there's not much to remember him by. Emmy started off strong. But soon lost that spark for me. She real quickly let Maverick in despite claiming she would never. And I'm talking 30% in.

The romance did nothing for me. It fell flat. The spice was very insta lust for me at 37% cause it came out of nowhere. There was no attachment and no chemistry between the two throughout the book. I mean sure, the spice is written hot but not enough to make me root for them. I just did not see the two grow or mature enough for me to like them or their relationship.

I skimmed through the ending and this might be the one and only time I would say this needed a lot of drama and a third act breakup so bad 🥲 My tbr is overflowing for me to continue with this series. So yeah, not coming back to it.

Thanks for sweet Yelena for reading this with me. I couldn't have survived this one without you 🥰


~•~•~
In the mood for something light and different. And most of my friends here seem to love it. Fingers crossed

[ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ big slay

[Milo (if lost, return to hot fictional character) · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. they’re both hockey players in the NHL
2. He wears her jersey instead of her wearing his
3. good boy vibes
4. no 3rd act breakup

do you need more? no.
this was a blast, go read it.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 I ATE THIS UPPP!!!!

pretty boy x emmy girl <33333

[cha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Idk if it's my slump or if this book just isn't for me

But what I do know is that every time I opened the book and had to hear about how big of a manwhore the MMC was BUT he donated to charity, saved sick puppies from burning buildings, ran headfirst into a wild lion to save a baby, cooked a scalding hot soup for the homeless with his bare hands... I immediately clicked back out.

Like I get it, you're a manwhore, you don't gotta justify it to me bro.

This book was working OVERTIME trying to convince us the MMC was worth swooning over even though he was a slut. You can like casual sex and also be decent.... the two aren't mutually exclusive.

Also I was hoping for some cool woman athlete moments but barely got any except for the occasional mention of how she inspired a lot of women and kids. It would've been awesome if there was more tension within the team and the public so that we could've gotten to see her deal with that and rise above.

But this book barely touched that subject.

There was also no drama in this which bored the living hell out of me. Would be perfect for someone who prefers low-risk reads.

Anyways... I AM FREEEEEEEE GOD BLESS NEVER AGAIN this book made me stop reading for like 12 days GRRRRRR


-
preread//

I really need to get back on my sports romcom era 😩

[sama ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe im giving this 5 stars. that is the last thing i expected but oh my god, maverick miller set the standard fr 🥹 he’s perfect. I love nothing more than a golden retriever mmc, that flirts so openly with the fmc, and isn’t afraid to show or admit just how much he’s obsessed with her 💝🎀 he reminds me so much of evan zanders (mile high) so if you like him, you’ll love miller 🤭 I love the representation of female athletes too, and the friendship she formed with the rest of the guys was the sweetest <33

[Brianna ᥫ᭡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

— Rating: 4 ★ .ᐟ

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ˚ 𝜗𝜚 ₊ 🍸 . “You don’t give up on the
‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ things you love just because they get hard” ‧₊˚

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 ᢉ𐭩
౨ৎ one-sided dislike to lovers
౨ৎ forced proximity
౨ৎ hockey romance
౨ৎ black cat x golden retriever

‧˚꒰ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ⋮ ୭

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ This book was going so well. The banter was top tier, the tension was exciting, and the chemistry between the main characters was enthralling. Yet, somehow, the lusting that took over the narrative at the 60% mark nearly ruined this book for me. Okay, that makes me sound like I disliked this book, but I say nearly because it in fact did not ruin my love for Face Off. Nothing can wreck my adoration for Emmy and Maverick’s story, especially after seeing their interactions in the future books of the D.C Stars series.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ As much as I despised the excessive smut, I do have to appreciate everything else. The plot overall was just so enjoyable and unique. Obviously there’s a fair share of hockey romances, but one with the FMC playing on the NHL hockey team? Absolutely adored reading this storyline. There were a decent amount of boring aspects in the plot nearing the end, which is where it felt like the main characters were non-stop banging, but the beginning truly entranced me from the very first page. The end portion of Face Off wasn’t even the worst either, it just started to slow down because Emmy and Maverick’s feelings started to be described in a rather repetitive manner. Also, the lack of a third-act breakup? Someone give Chelsea Curto an award for this because I could not tell you how giddy I got when Emmy and Maverick actually communicated about their problems. This should be the bare minimum but in today’s society, it’s rare. Anyways, watching the main characters engage on and off the ice was so wondrously enticing. It showed the development of not only Emmy and Maverick’s relationship but also their relationships with everyone else, it was executed so well and I cannot emphasize how much I treasured the found family in this book.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ And their dynamic? It was as entertaining as the plot. Within only a few chapters, we get introduced to the amusing banter that makes you non-stop giggle. Seeing the jokingly flirty comments build up to tension filled interactions had me reading big chunks of this book without break. I do think Face Off is a more one-sided dislike to lovers as its blatantly obvious Maverick was interested in Emmy from the beginning, which isn’t a problem, this book just isn’t advertised as such. The one thing I did heavily dislike was the lusting which started in the very first chapters. I know I know, I already said the excessive smut was annoying so why am I repeating myself? I just can’t stress how it ruined the mood for me at some points in the story, even though all the little things Maverick did for Emmy proved they truly weren’t just physically attracted to one another. It was just disappointing to have a book you were loving hit a stand point in the storyline because a FWB trope gets thrown into the writing. Nonetheless, they had everything you’d want from the main characters in a romance book. Chemistry, banter, tension, and just the right amount of meaningful conversations that evoke a feeling of connection between the readers and the characters. No, this book wasn’t the utmost emotional or life-changing, but it has impacted me in such a way that I yearn for a relationship like Maverick and Emmys.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Plus the effort put into all of the characters personalities? Even the side characters were memorable. I think a huge reason I liked this book, despite certain questionable features, was Emmy and Maverick as individuals. The character development was unbelievable. I am obsessed with the black cat x golden retriever trope and Face Off executed it wonderfully. It was sort of instant attraction on both sides which, yes, was annoying, but I do think their romantic feelings for each other were developed decently? The development of said feelings could’ve been more drawn out but it didn’t feel the utmost insta-lovey. Nonetheless, Chelsea Curto’s writing, a mix of emotional depth with humorous dialogue, has definitely hooked me in. It wasn’t the most emotional book yet Chelsea was capable of incorporating sufficient amounts of depth into both the characters and their relationship. Yes, it was a tad repetitive and cringey at times, however I was snorting and grinning for almost every page in this book. Also, can we appreciate how Emmy and Maverick were both good at hockey? They were equally talented rather than one or the other being unrealistically the best player which made this book way more enjoyable.

‧˚꒰ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⋮ ୭

౨ৎ Emerson Hartwell.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Knew from the very first chapter I’d adore her. I loved her reserved yet kind personality and her witty comebacks. She made the banter ten times more amusing and her determination to prove herself as a female in the NHL was phenomenal. Her willingness to stand up against misogynic men and stereotypical gender standards to do what she loved? Chef’s kiss. Emmy is just a complete inspiration to me. I wish I can be as confident as her one day. Plus, I loved the representation of a female in a male-dominated field!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ She had a sufficient amount of depth put into her character and she had great character development as well. Was it the utmost outstanding? No, but I still think she grew through her ability to be more vulnerable with others. Her individuality was wondrous, being outgoing around the people she cared for whilst still remaining as a “black-cat” archetype. She was just so relatable and entertaining. Also, the friendships she created? Her, Lexi, and Piper were so cute, I yearn for a friendship like theirs.

౨ৎ Maverick Miller.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ This man was everything Carter Beckett wish he was. Seriously though, I loved him. Yes, his lusting could have been reduced in great amounts, but aside from that? He was wondrous. He had a great amount of growth and the small details he remembered about not only Emmy but also his friends was so cute. I do think the “reformed playboy” trope had an iffy execution. This may only be because I truthfully can’t understand how someone can just look at a person and completely change how they act. I just feel that his feelings for Emerson could have developed with better pacing.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ Nonetheless, this man was the standard. I am biased because I love golden retriever MMC’s, but his outgoing, kind, and devoted personality was just perfection. Perfection is obviously an exaggeration, but you get me. His dialogue was amusing and I was absolutely kicking my feet for this man. Albeit his depth not being the most memorable to me, I do think he had decent amounts of complexity. His insecurity of not being good enough? I never thought I’d relate to a man, but here we are. Maverick was just so sweet and his dynamic with the other players, especially Hudson, was adorable. He devotes his life to the things he loves and seeing Emmy finally get the attention she deserved from him had me extremely happy.

‧˚꒰ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 ⋮ ୭

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ As much as I liked this book, I definitely think the D.C Stars series is aimed towards a specific audience. The excessive smut, the sometimes boring chapters, it could be disliked by many. For me though? I was able to look past all of these aspects and I loved everything else. The character development, the small details that built up the main character’s feelings, it kept me completely immersed with this book. Maverick and Emmy themselves were so wondrously illustrated that I could not stop reading. Not to mention their dynamic? I do wish it was drawn out longer with less smut and more development, but I enjoyed the witty banter and compelling chemistry nonetheless. This wasn’t extremely emotional and it didn’t alter my brain chemistry, but it definitely is a memorable book for me. If you’re looking for a simple hockey romance with enjoyable main characters and found family as a cherry on top, I’d recommend this book!

⤿ read: april 01 - april 08 ; 2026

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
⸝⸝ #1. Face Off : 4 ★
⸝⸝ #2. Power Play : 3.75 ★
⸝⸝ #3. Slap Shot : 4.25 ★
⸝⸝ #4. Hat Trick : 4.75 ★
⸝⸝ #5. Sin Bin : x ★

── ・ ── 𝜗𝜚 ── ・ ──

₊˚ ౿ 🏒 pre-read !!
A woman in professional hockey?? Yes please. 🥹 This has been on my TBR for a while so I’m excited to finally get to it!! I’ve read around 20ish pages so far and I already love Emmy

Update: 60% in and we’ve officially lost the storyline to lust 🫩

[Uswah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85 ⭐️

THERE’S NO THIRD-ACT BREAKUP IN THIS BOOK 👀 THE AMOUNT OF HAPPINESS I FELT 🤭🤭 Yessss!!! I was so scared Miss Author would sneak in a third-act breakup, but THANK GOD she didn’t 🥹🤍 That alone made me ridiculously happy.

I loved Emmy so much 🥹♥️ A feisty FMC always has my heart 🙂‍↕️ She stole my attention immediately, and I adored her from the start. She will forever be liked by me, no questions asked 🫶🥹

And Maverick… 👀 WELL, HE’S MY MAN!!! 😌
This man never let his game drop—not even once 🙂‍↔️
Emmy tells him once that she’s allergic to strawberries, and suddenly there are no strawberries at team dinners anymore??? YEAH, THAT’S MY MAN 😤
He goes to the supermarket to buy expensive olives just for her before heading to the bar??? YES. MY. MAN. 😤
An NHL captain who drops to his knees for her without hesitation??? DEFINITELY MY MAN 😤
Can y’all tell how obsessed I am with him?? 🤭 I love Mavvy sooo much—he’s genuinely sweet, caring, and perfect 🥹🫶

I’m also obsessed with the side characters 🤭🤭 and I cannot wait to read about them 🙂‍↕️🎀 Love this fam.

This book was funny, addictive, and such a good time. I don’t know why it took me so long to start this series, but thank you to bestie Krisha for choosing this 🥹🫶 Overall, I really, really enjoyed it.

Yea, that’s it guys. Love y’all 🫶💜

————————————————
🏒₊˚⊹♡ pre-read 🏒₊˚⊹♡

Challenge: Asking my friend to pick a number from my TBR (part 3)

I asked my bestie Krisha to pick a number, and she chose 1,072 💀 Turns out that number matches the 7th book in this series and it’s not even out yet. Since I haven’t started the series at all, I’ll be reading book one 🙂‍↕️ Let’s see what this series has in store 💜

[aislinn ୭ ˚.⁺⊹ .ᐟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭑.ᐟ4.25 stars
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⤷・spoiler-free review ‧₊˚ ┊

‎ ‎ ꒰ "Maverick. what are...why are you wearing my jersey?"
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"because it's heroes and legends night. you're my hero, Hartwell,
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎and ‎you're definitely going to become a legend." ꒱

buddy read with my fav girl, har 😽 thank you so much for reading this with me angel, I seriously had the best time ever giggling over the D.C. team with you & endlessly yapping about this amazing book! I'm so excited to experience the rest of this series with you! love you so very much💘
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗𝜚 har's stunning review 𝜗𝜚

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‧₊˚ ┊⛸️ thoughts
okay this book seriously exceeded my expectations. when I decided to pick this book up, I mostly expected just another silly hockey romance with the same old plot they usually have but no. boy was I wrong! this book had a unique premise with loveable characters, wonderful character development and did my favourite trope, the found-family trope so much justice. this book literally had me giggling from the third chapter and I continuously found myself getting lost within the pages because I was so invested. this book filled me with a sense of excitement and calm at the same time, making it such a great comfort read. words cannot describe how excited I am for the next books in this series (especially Hudson's🤭).

the only reason I deducted points is because, for one, I felt that they jumped into the "friends-with-benefits"/ spice too quickly. as a girly who lives for that yearning, I would have preferred it to take a bit more time for them to get down to business. also, just the amount of spice in it turned me away a little bit and left me to want to skim through those chapters. I used to love spice in books and sometimes I still do but I honestly could not care to be reading like 8+ chapters with mostly just spice.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‧₊˚ ┊🏒 characters

‎ᵎᵎ ⌗‎‎ emmy hartwell
god is a woman -ariana grande
oh how I love Emmy so much. this woman is the definition of a girl boss. I'm truly obsessed with everything about her! she is such an inspiration. the fact that she does what she wants to do despite other people's opinions and repeatedly puts herself out there, willing to take risks makes her incredibly charming and I just will never be able to get enough of her. I felt so bad for her with what she dealt with from her ex but seeing her character growth and also knowing her team had her back filled me with so much happiness. she is one of the most fierce FMC's I have read about.

ᵎᵎ ⌗‎‎ maverick miller
hall of fame -the script ft. will.i.am
mmmm say it with me, MAVERICK MILLER. omg, to be so honest I loved him right away. I just had such a great feeling about him yet he still was so much more soft and gentlemanly than I imagined. not only would this man go to the ends of the earth for Emmy, but he would do it for all his loved ones and even just for anyone who needs help because he has the kindest heart out there. maverick is beyond selfless, always putting everyone before himself. he pays attention to people so that he can surprise them and see them smile because that's what makes him happy. also the way he is with his niece, June had my cheeks hurting. I need to see Maverick become a father because I don't think someone who is better father and husband material could exist.

ᵎᵎ ⌗‎‎ emmy+maverick
state of grace -taylor swift
omg can you say power couple!? even though I wish we got more yearning before the spice, I still can't deny their connection. they are such a gorgeous couple both inside and out. two people with the kindest and purest hearts. two people who haven't gotten to fully experience that feeling of being wanted, loved and someone's first choice. they deserve each other so much and they deserve to flourish together forever. honestly they are probably one of my favourite couples, they're just so much fun to watch together and I feel like it's impossible to not want to just root for them. YAY for no third act break up because they are actually mature enough to act and communicate like their age!!

ᵎᵎ ⌗‎‎ d.c. stars team
count on me -bruno mars
ugh this is definitely my favourite hockey team from a book so far. each and every one of them are just so loveable and they reminded me why I love the found-family trope so much. it felt like receiving a warm hug every time I heard one of the boys supporting each other and Emmy. I really only have good things to say about them and I don't want to give any spoilers but I promise you, you will be jumping, giggling and kicking your feet at the pure support and brotherly-love they show Emmy. my favourite boy was Hudson and I cannot wait for his book. I just know I'm going to devour it.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‧₊˚ ┊🥅 quotes
┆“I’ve always considered myself a feminist, but there’s something so goddamn sexy about a man in a backwards hat that has me ready to drop to my knees for the patriarchy.”

┆“I never really felt like I had a home. But with Emmy next to me, I think home is wherever she is. A place I’d like to stay forever.”

┆“You are allowed to cry, but you’re not allowed to cry over shitty men. They don’t deserve your love and attention, let alone your tears.”

┆“I really can’t convince you to come, can I?” “Nope. I have some ice cream in the fridge, I’m going to open a bottle of wine, I’m reading a romance book that’s making me kick my feet. What more can you ask for?”

┆"a smile- the tiniest, faintest smile I've ever seen- pulls at her lips, and I'm the proudest motherfucker in the world."

[Kiara (easing back in) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I loved coming back to this story—and somehow, the found family hit even harder on reread. I already know I’m going to eat up every single book in this series. 🤭

🏒 The Premise

Emmy Hartwell finally gets called up to the NHL, becoming the first female player in the league as she joins the struggling D.C. Stars.

From day one, she clashes with team captain Maverick Miller—star player, certified playboy, and very much not used to anyone challenging him.

What starts as pure tension slowly shifts into a friends-with-benefits situation, and as the season unfolds, both Emmy and Maverick realize that keeping things “casual” might not be so easy.

🩵 My Thoughts

Some books give you a couple to love.
This one gave me a whole team ☺️

The found family in this? Everything.

The banter, the loyalty, the way the guys show up for her without hesitation—it genuinely felt like a warm blanket every time they showed up on the page.

No weird tension. No making her “earn” her place. Just immediate “she’s one of us now” energy.

I’m absolutely obsessed with them.

"You're planted with me, Emmy girl, and we're going to have roots everywhere. Here.
There. Wherever our friends end up. We're stuck together now, and we'll take this one step at a time."

╰┈➤ Maverick

What stood out the most is how he supports Emmy, defends her, and never once questions her place on the team or tries to dim her shine.

And yes—he has the playboy reputation.
But the way he is with her? Not casual at all.

It’s in the little things—remembering what she likes, taking care of her when she’s sick, wearing her jersey (!!), the olives, the five hundred questions…

That earns me another half smile from her, and I want to collect them all. Shove them in my pocket and keep them for myself.

There’s something really soft underneath all that confidence—someone who desperately wants to be loved and reassured he’s enough.

And when it comes to the people he loves? Loyal, intentional, all in.

"Thank you," I say, and her eyes flutter open. "Thank you for letting me help you, Emmy. Thank you for letting me be here.
You can tell me to go whenever you want and I will, but I want you to know this is exactly where I want to be. I've got you."

╰┈➤ Emmy

She really is the heart of this story. Strong—but not in a way that feels untouchable.

She doubts herself. She feels the pressure. She has moments where everything almost gets to her—and that’s what makes her feel real.

Being the only woman in a male-dominated sport, constantly scrutinized, constantly underestimated—and still choosing to show up anyway? I loved that about her.

Watching her rebuild her confidence, find her place on the team, and slowly let herself be loved… so satisfying.

💭 Final Take

This is the kind of story you settle into—for the characters, for the dynamics, for that feeling of belonging somewhere.

It’s warm. It’s comforting. Flirty without being shallow, emotional without feeling heavy.

Maverick and Emmy just work. The chemistry feels effortless, the communication is there, and the lack of a third-act breakup? A genuine gift.

"You are enough," Maverick says. "You are more than enough, and you're so far out of my league, it's not even funny. I... you..." He shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. "Every day I'm going to show you just how enough you are."
"And I'm going to show you every day how wanted you are," I say softly. "How wanted you are for being you, not your paycheck or your stat line. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you, Maverick."

Tropes / What to Expect

🏒 Hockey Romance
❄️ Dislike to Lovers
🤍 Friends with Benefits
🐶 Golden Retriever × Black Cat
👀 Reformed Playboy
🏡 Found Family

D.C. Stars Series

1. Face Off — 4.5 ⭐️
2. Power Play — TBR
3. Slap Shot — TBR
4. Hat Trick — TBR
5. Sin Bin — TBR
6. Cross Check — TBR
7. Weak Side — TBR

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
✧･ﾟPre-Re-Read ･ﾟ✧

I have been waiting MONTHS for this 🕯️🥹
Duet audio 🎧 Adam Gold + Laura Horowitz ✨

let's see if Maverick Miller
still has my heart. 🩵

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fear I found my new obsession, I devoured this. It was so good, I couldn't stop reading!!
I absolutely loved Emmy girl and her pretty boy and the found family trope will forever be my favourite!!

Emmy might be one of my favourite characters ever, she was determined and so amazing!! I love how hard she worked for her dream, being a first woman in the NHL isn't easy and I hated seeing her doubt herself, but she never let the noise stop her and I adored the way Maverick made sure she knows just how special she is. She was prickly, so seeing her walls go down was so fun. The team really took her in, they had her back and I absolutely loved their dynamic.
Maverick, that man had the biggest heart, I love him so much. He was so kind and selfless and always there for the people around him. He was such a great captain and I loved how fiercely he protected the people he loved. He put others first and seeing how deep some of his insecurities go broke my heart. He truly deserves the best and I'm so happy he has someone as special as Emmy in his life. I loved his connection with Dallas and Reid and of course Hudson, that scene near the end with them was my favourite lol.

I don't think I can explain just how much I loved reading about Maverick and Emmy. Their banter, the way he was trying to get close to her, but she didn't give him the time of the day, I was giggling and kicking my feet so much. They started their friends with benefits agreement pretty early in the book, but for them it made sense, they had that special connection since the beginning, but they weren't ready for anything more, they needed that time to realise their feelings.. It honestly made seeing them slowly fall in love even more special. I absolutely loved the 500 questions and him wearing her jersey was the highlight of the book. Him reading her romance book, mine, going after her awful ex, the dad scene, everything he did for her, all the things he made sure to remember and how he went above and beyond for her and how she always saw him for who he was, it all felt like the warmest hug!!
And no third act break-up ahhhh!! We love when the characters are actually mature and talk things out!!!

I adore the team so much, the found family aspect was my favourite part. The group chat was the best, they are hilarious, and they really had each others back. I can't wait to read more about them, especially Liam and Hudson!!
I absolutely loved the girls, they were amazing, I can't wait to learn more about Piper and Lexi and I'm definitely reading the book about Maven and Dallas!!

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

I've really been struggling with reading books from my tbr lately, being a mood reader is hell sometimes 😭 So I'm, once again, completely ignoring the books I really should be reading and starting a new series... I heard great things about this one, so it better deliver!!

[vanessa ⋆.☕︎ May and half June ia ✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars.
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.”
This book was good… but also kinda bad? I still can’t decide if it was exactly what I was waiting for or just something I’ve already seen a dozen times. Still, I’ll give it credit for one thing: it didn’t turn into a disappointment.

The story felt really off for me until around the 40% mark, but once I got past that, it actually stayed pretty solid all the way to the end. Honestly, the last ten chapters saved it from becoming another 1-star read. Yes, I giggled and kicked my feet more than I expected, but there was still something missing that kept me from fully connecting with the characters.

I tried to be nice, I swear, but at first it felt like another copy of Unsteady by Corinne. Thankfully, this one turned out better, and I’m honestly relieved about that.

Thank you to this gorgeous girl rei ‧₊˚✩彡 for buddy reading this book with me! We had such a fun, chaotic, and absolutely delightful time yapping about every scene, giggling at the ridiculous moments, and screaming over the cute ones. Sharing all of that made the whole reading experience a thousand times better!

── .✦

°˖➴ Emmy:

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮,” 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬. “𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.” “𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

Emmy was fierce, strong, and genuinely kind, the kind of who instantly grabs your attention. I adored her from the very first moment she appeared on the page, and honestly, that didn’t change for a second. Yes, she had her stubborn moments that left me confused or even a little frustrated, but that only made her feel real. And then she met Mav, and everything in her shifted in the softest, in the sweetest way. That’s exactly the kind of emotional switch I crave in romance books.

She definitely falls into that predictable “I refuse to fall for a hockey player” trope, something I’ve seen in so many stories, but she wears it in her own way. I didn’t mind… even though part of me totally rolled my eyes at her.

But what truly made me connect with her was how she speaks her mind. She doesn’t hesitate to call someone out or stand her ground, even when it puts her in messy situations.That confidence and sharp honesty? That’s the part of her that felt familiar to me, the part that made me root for her even harder.



°˖➴Maverick:

“𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤. 𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫,” 𝐇𝐮𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. “𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐜𝐤.”

And then we have Maverick, strong, sweet, and absolutely devoted, the kind of man who lives for yearning over his girl, which is exactly what I wanted from the start. I do think the author flipped the usual plot a bit, but honestly, it still worked pretty well as things unfolded.

He’s your classic sports-romance hero: handsome, the captain, that “every girl wants him” energy… and yet the moment he saw Emmy, it was basically, “Oh, it’s you. You’re the one.” And I ate that up.

I loved how he supported her with everything in him, always showing up right when she needed him, especially when she was sick. That entire scene? Hands down my favorite part of the whole book. And his password being her name? I screamed. I want someone to do that for me too, honestly.

“𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰.”
Ohhh, and when they finally opened up to each other? 😭 That part hit me so hard. Emmy dealing with her mother being such a pain about her hockey career was honestly so annoying, and I loved that she was actually a sport player herself, it’s so rare in sports romances, and it made her character feel fresh and fascinating!

And then her ex-boyfriend… ugh, thinking he was the world to everyone but in reality, just a total piece of crap. Yikes.

Mav opening up about being a foster child and his search for someone who would truly love and care for him? That scene was so emotional and heartwarming. I literally felt my chest tighten reading it, it gave such depth to his character and made their connection feel real and earned.

── .✦

Oh, the thing that absolutely drove me insane in this book was the instant lust in the very first chapters. Like, why is this the mandatory starter pack for every sports romance lately? I swear, I’m starting to feel like these authors all signed some secret contract that requires them to open with “intense eye contact + sudden feral attraction” in chapter one.

It’s exhausting, it’s repetitive, and it kills my excitement every single time. I want a build-up, not a hormonal explosion three pages in!

── .✦

By the end of the book, I was honestly torn about my rating. I couldn’t decide if it was leaning toward a solid 3 stars or maybe a 3.75, but there was no way it deserved either of those. The wrap-up felt rushed, a little messy, and way too quick for the emotional build-up we were supposed to feel, but it did manage to pull things together just enough for me to add that extra 0.5.

So in the end, it landed exactly where it needed to be. Not perfect, not amazing, but definitely a good read in its own way. ✨📚


>>> ──────── .✦

⋆♡⸝💌⊹➴ I’ve been wanting to read this book for ages, but the hype on social media honestly scared me off for a while. Now I’m finally diving in, and oh my god, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!
And the best part? I get to read it with my sweet angel rei ‧₊˚✩彡 . I can’t wait to gush about every little thing with her. 💕💌

[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 35%
I was bored for the whole time. I felt zero connection or chemistry between the MCs. So when they hooked up at 35% I just didn't care lol. Underwhelming to say the least. Clearly I didn't get the hype but what can you do.

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡]

pre-read:

finally starting this series, and how great it is to read with my angel vanessa 🌷🫧 this is my first br with her and i really hope we both enjoy this one because i’ve heard many good things about this series!! 🤭🤞🏼✨

[har. (semi-ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars ₊ ° ⊹ ♡
╰┈➤ review w minor spoilers ⋆

“why would you give up the sport you love?” “because i love you more!”

tropes:
.ᐟ friends with benefits
.ᐟ found family
.ᐟ strong female lead

buddy read with my favourite aislinn!! 💌 thank you sm for reading this with me!! i had the best time giggling over maverick with you and yapping over everything 🙂‍↕️ i’m so excited to continue the series with you 🤸 love you so much angel 💝

ʚ⁺˖ aislinn’s gorgeous review!

‧₊˚ ┊summary and thoughts 💌
face off is about emerson hartwell and maverick miller. emmy finally got an opportunity to play with the NHL struggling team D.C. stars. the captain, maverick, who ended up flirting with her on the first day, since he thought she was a fan instead of someone who was joining the team. tensions build and one thing lead to another, they became friends with benefits to satisfy themselves. but this story is more than friends with benefits, it shows true love, and what it feels like to be loved by someone.

so! wow okay, i can’t believe i hated maverick at first. not going to lie, he did flirt with emmy when he first saw her and didn’t watch the tapes the captain sent over… but slowly, i finally understood why he was acting so weirdly i guess. he was a softie towards his niece, june! he really did love her endlessly. he just needed someone to show him that he deserves love and he deserves to be chosen. and emmy was able to do that for him. and wow emmy! i loved her sm and how much of a baddy she was 🙂‍↕️ i loved their love story sm and how much maverick changed as a person by the end!

‧₊˚ ┊emerson hartwell 🏒

the man - taylor swift

okay miss baddie! she deserved all the support she could ever get! she really reminded me of she’s the man (ty kim for that!!). i loved how she used the haters as a motivation to do even better! and how she just ignored how men commented on her since she was the only woman in the team. i definitely loved how she tried to protect herself after being awfully hurt by her terrible ex boyfriend. also! i’m so glad she was able to meet piper as well! their friendship was so cute

‧₊˚ ┊maverick miller 🥅

carry you home - alex warren

mhm i said it, i did hate him at first. but once the story started to progress, god did i giggle over this man. he’s so ‘if he wanted to, he would’ coded. here’s some things he did for emmy that live rent free in my head:
- made his phone password 3669 right after meeting her (which stands for emmy)
- stopped seeing girls after he met emmy (cause he was so down bad for her)
- wore HER jersey in public
- made arrangements so that her disabled dad was able to watch her play her game. he arranged the van and a VIP room for him!!
- tattooed mine for her
- didn’t care for the game and protected emmy from her ex boyfriend who was the opponent
- flew out to toronto right after dropping her off so that she doesn’t spend her last night alone
- kept complimenting her
- his proposal to her 🥹

overall i cried in the last 5 chapters because of him. he really was a sweetheart to her! and also, i loved his nicknames for her!

‧₊˚ ┊emmy and maverick 💝

miss americana and the heartbreak prince - taylor swift

i know it said slow burn but honestly there wasn’t any! the friends with benefits came way too quickly (i think chapter 21 out of 50). but you know what, i’m not complaining. i loved how their relationship slowly formed and how much they cared for each other. also when they both were starting to realise how much they loved each other, i cried 🥹 maverick wasn’t able to think straight and got the boys to help him figure it out!! aaa i’m so glad they both met each other and showed them love and respect. i’m so excited to see their cameo in the other books!

‧₊˚ ┊D.C. stars team 🫂

my baddies, i loved them so much. i love how they made emmy included and cared so much for her! they were really a family together 🥹 i’m so excited to read hudson’s story though! he’s such a cutie 🤸

‧₊˚ ┊quotes

Maverick built a bookshelf for all my books, and every night we’re under the same roof, he lies next to me and reads over my shoulder, like there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

“Can you—” his throat bobs, and his hand trembles when he wraps his fingers around my thigh. “No one’s ever loved me before—not like this—and I would really like to hear you say it again.”

“He definitely does. You should see him at the rink. He’s constantly searching for her,” Hudson says, laughing. “I counted the other day. Seventeen times during a two hour practice he was watching her instead of the puck.”

I wasn’t joking about putting mine on the back of my hand. I want to see it every time I touch you. A pretty necklace for my pretty girl.”

“I’ve been wanting to shout from the rooftops that you’re my girlfriend for a while now.”

How do I tell him Emmy is all I think about? She’s the first thing on my mind when I wake up. At night, when she’s curled up next to me, I’m still thinking about her. I close my eyes, and she’s there.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever get sick of you,” Emmy admits. “You’re my favorite person in the world.” “Funny. You’re my favorite person too.” (there’s way too many to share)

➤ started: july 27
➤ finished: aug 4

[buket · Rating 4 out of 5]

me when the ex-playboy, golden-retriever hockey player falls SO in love with the black-cat, girl’s-girl hockey player that he wears her jersey and gets a tattoo of her handwriting on his chest


💌 I never really felt like I had a home. But with Emmy next to me, I think home is wherever she is.
A place I’d like to stay forever.

it’s always always more enjoyable when i read with my precious lila <33

[giu ౨ৎ (semi ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★ - spoiler free review

I’m not doing this only for myself. It’s for all the girls out there who have ever been told they can’t.

first in first thank you my favie girl kim for reading this book with me, even if it was a dnfed for you, i hope you had an amazing time because i did! i always have when it’s about doing a br with you <3

so… i did giggle and kick my feet when i was reading it, but i felt like it was something i have already read somewhere else. it reminded me so much of mile high by liz tomford.

don’t get me wrong, i loved and devoured it. but you know… i always read the classic story where the playboy falls in love with a girl who doesn’t date them.

i want something original, something new, something nobody has ever read before.

now let’s give some spaces to the characters.

i’m really into powerful women, and that’s exactly who emmy is. i’d like to say that sometimes she might be stubborn, and for the whole book i just wanted to give her a hug for her self-questioning.

then we have maverick. what do i think about him? i believe he is the exactly copy of zanders. however, when he sees emmy, he transforms into someone completely different. to clarify, he was absolutely perfect, i love how he supports emmy in every possible way, and how he wants to change things for her. he even expresses his love through actions.

“Maverick. What are… Why are you wearing my jersey?” “Because it’s Heroes and Legends night. You’re my hero, Hartwell, and you’re definitely going to become a legend.”

my final thoughts are that this is the classic hockey romance, nothing new… but please, this is what my truly opinion is, i do not want to get judged. i didn’t like her writing at all, honestly i got stuck in some sentences that i even didn’t understand at all HAHAHAA and idk why. but it was smooth! quite fluid.

[kimberly ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡. [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

‎❝ i never really felt like i had a home. but with emmy next to me, i think home is wherever she is. a place i'd like to stay forever. ❞

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ guys, this book had me grinning like a certified lunatic and kicking my feet so hard i almost launched myself into the stratosphere. i had a genuinely great time with this one, and it absolutely entertained me in the most aggressive, unhinged way possible, like it personally grabbed me by the shoulders and said, "you WILL enjoy this, bitch" until i complied.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ i. plot. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ this book was basically two hot iditions in hockey gear trying to out-snark each other while i sat there grinning like a fool grinning like a fool who’d been personally roofied by banter.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ emmy hartwell is finally getting her shot in the nhl with the d.c. stars, which means she storms in this book with talent, attitude, and exactly zero interest in making life easy for anyone, especially maverick miller. maverick, meanwhile, is the team captain, one of the best players in the league, and unfortunately, the kind of man who is both deeply annoying and extremely built. truly a walking, talking, puck-handling public menace with thighs that could end civilizations.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ the setup is simple but elite. she kinda hates him a little, but they both want each other a lot, and are dumb enough to believe they can keep things casual. babes, the plot knew exactly what kind of delicious nonsense it was serving. hockey tension so thick you could skate on it. locker room vibes. forced proximity. competitive bickering. sexual tension so loud it should've been fined by the league. every time these two were in the same room, it felt like the book was handing me popcorn and a front-row seat to the circus.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ ii. romance. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ the banter in this book? nasty in the best way possible. sharp, playful, and just mean enough to keep me spiritually hydrated and emotionally well-fed. emmy and maverick talk to each other like they’re one minor inconvenience away from either making out in the sin bin, and i ate that shit up with a spoon every single time.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ and maverick, i regret to inform everyone that i got embarrassingly, catastrophically attached. i know, i know. it's tragic. but this man being all cocky and irritating on the outside while internally folding like a cheap lawn chair at the first sign of emmy? that is premium catnip injected straight into my veins. this is a certified he's-obsessed situation, and you can feel him spiraling. devastating, delicious, and deeply concerning work, honestly.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ the friends-with-benefits portion is also exactly the kind of beautiful bad decision i will always support in fiction. they keep aggressively telling themselves it's casual, temporary, no feelings, just hockey, hormones, and questionable life choices while the emotional attachment is standing in the corner like a final boss getting bigger, buffer, and more obvious with every single chapter. absolutely no one was fooling me, and they sure as hell weren’t fooling themselves.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ iii. characters. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎i also really liked the character growth in this one, which is wild because usually i treat character development in romance like it's optional seasoning.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ emmy starts off guarded, sharp-edged, and deep in her "i will handle this myself and maybe bite a bitch if necessary" era, which made total sense given the emotional baggage she was hauling around like a carry-on full of trauma and trust issues. queen was out here ready to fight the entire nhl with nothing but thorny quips and a resting murder face.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ and maverick? he actually surprised me. under all that cocky captain/playboy nonsense, this man slowly evolved from a, emotionally constipated fuckboy supreme into someone thoughtful, emotionally available, and way more intentional about showing up for her. they both started out severely allergic to vulnerability, acting like catching feelings was a communicable disease, and then proceeded to catch them so catastrophically hard that personal growth became unavoidable.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ also, can we talk about the side characters for a hot second? because they weren't just filler. they were unhinged, chaotic, and an emotional support zamboni all rolled into one glorious found-family mess that kept this book from ever feeling lonely on the ice. the d.c. stars locker room is populated with the exact brand of unhinged hockey boys i signed up for. you've got teammates who are equal parts ride-or-die and professional shit-stirrers. special shoutout to the ones who functioned like emotional support golden retrievers with six-pack abs, hyping emmy up, giving maverick the most brutally honest "bro, you’re down bad" talks, and generally making the team feel like a deranged found family that would absolutely start a riot if anyone looked at their girl wrong.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ you've got hudson hayes, the gentle giant defenseman who's basically a walking teddy bear with shoulders that could block out the sun. every time he showed up it felt like the book was giving emmy (and me) a big warm hug while the rest of the team caused problems on purpose. i'm already mentally preparing my "hudson deserves the world" campaign for his book. and don't even get me started on the girls. piper, lexi, and the rest of the fierce wag-adjacent crew. they delivered the female solidarity i didn't know i needed. no catty nonsense, just powerful women lifting each other up, hyping emmy like she's their personal war general, and serving looks while the boys are busy being emotionally constipated. piper especially felt like the unwavering bestie we all deserve.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ they made the whole big league hockey world feel messy, lived-in, and genuinely fun. the found-family vibes were so strong i wanted to get drafted onto the team just so i could join the group chat.


₊˚꒰ ⟡ ˙ iv. conclusion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ so yeah, this book had me grinning like an idiot, kicking my feet, cackling in public, and questioning my life choices in the best possible way. it was the literary equivalent of eating an entire bag of sour gummy worms while watching two hot idiots in hockey gear flirt-fight their way into a situationship. messy? yes. addictive? absolutely. did i develop a concerning attachment to fictional hockey boys? also yes. emmy and maverick served exactly what i came for.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ is it perfect? nah. there were a few moments where i wanted it to go even harder, get a little messier, or hit me with one more unhinged emotional gut-punch. but honestly? those tiny gripes felt like complaining that your favorite rollercoaster only made you scream for 90% of the ride instead of 100%. this was still a blast.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ and can we give a standing ovation to the fact that there was zero third-act breakup? none. zip. zilch. not even a single dramatic "we need to talk" moment where they ghost each other for 50 pages while i scream into a pillow. it was refreshing, slightly suspicious, and lowkey made me trust them more. 10/10 for skipping the mandatory third-act nonsense. my fragile little heart thanks you, chelsea curto.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ soooo, four stars and a very real threat to reread this whenever i need a serotonin boost. now if you'll excuse me, i need to go manifest a maverick miller in my life, or at least manifest better self-control. either one works.

— 4 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°.ᐟ


.° ༘🎧ྀི⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ
❛ i've always considered myself a feminist, but there's something so goddamn sexy about a man in a backwards hat that has me ready to drop to my knees for the patriarchy. ❜

❛ i want more with you, emmy. i want to come home to you every night and i want to take you out to dinner in the city. i want to hold your hand on the sidewalk and i want to kiss you in the rain. i want all that shit they talk about in the movies. i'm going to be honest with you, though. i don't have a fucking clue how to be in a relationship or how to be a boyfriend, but i'm going to learn. i'm going to try, and you're the only person i'd ever want to try with. this isn't just sex to me, and it hasn't been for a while. if keeping it casual is the only way i get to keep you, then so be it. but i think you want something more too. ❜

❛ flying to see my girlfriend isn't a chore, emmy girl. it's a privilege, and just more nice things you deserve. ❜

❛ pretty sure i wanted to bark when i saw her for the first time. ❜

❛ the fuck is a chortle? is that a pokémon? ❜


‎── ⟡ ˙ 🪻༘ ₊ main tropes. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
⟢ dislike (her) to lovers
⟢ nhl teammates
⟢ black cat fmc x golden retriever mmc
⟢ friends with benefits
⟢ reformed playboy
⟢ found family


⌗ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎started: apr. 6th, 2026. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌝
‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌞ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎finished: apr. 13th, 2026. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✦


₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-review:
⤿ i had a fantastic time with this one and am currently trying to gather my thoughts in a way that sounds coherent and not like i just got hit in the face with a hockey stick. full rtc!

₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-read:
⤿ i’m going into face off with hope in my heart, chaos in my soul, and the sinking feeling that chelsea curto is about to hand me a man i'll go feral over.


‎── ⟡ ˙ 🪻༘ ₊ review and ratings.
⊹ face off.┆ 4 ⭑.ᐟ ‎
⊹ power play. ┆ 3.5 ⭑.ᐟ
⊹ slap shot. ┆ ? ⭑.ᐟ
⊹ hat trick. ┆ ? ⭑.ᐟ
⊹ sin bin. ┆ ? ⭑.ᐟ
⊹ cross check. ┆ ? ⭑.ᐟ
⊹ weak side. ┆ ? ⭑.ᐟ

[kim ౨ৎ]

₊˚⊹⋆ 🥅 pre-read
⤿ started august 9 • stopped on august 13

dnf at 65%. im so bored lol. i’ll get back to this one when i finish the rest of the series!! in the meantime i can’t wait to read about the other characters 🥹

•••••••••••••••••
this one’s for you julia & har !! if i don’t love this one, im hunting you both down….😈

and ofc im br with my favie giu, based on the content warning page, i think we’re both going to die a little inside <3

[Matea ☽]

pre-read

Yeah, my brain is refusing to accept any form of fantasy/romantasy at this point hahahah 😭 I’m gonna switch to some hockey romance — always a good answer — and then come back to the books I started!

Don’t come for me 🥹

[lauren‎♡₊˚ &#x1f9a2;・₊✧ (ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5💫

im so glad i started the dc stars series and i cant wait to read the rest!! i immediately fell in love with the found family in this one and i neeeed all of their books asap.

mav was such a gentleman and he treated emmy perfectly, but i feel like we kinda brushed aside his past. it starts off by saying he is a player, but we really got no insight into his past and how his feelings on his past affect his relationship with emmy. i would assume that because he was so afraid of commitment, there would be some inner conflict about being with emmy only, but there wasn’t, which is so great for them, but doesn’t really make sense with the past they pinned on him and his past opinion of relationships.

emmy was such a badass i loved her. she was so confident, cool, and i absolutely loved how everyone treated her. she is a princess and deserves to be treated like one by everyone.

their personal relationship journey felt like it was all spicy scenes and i wanted a more emotional connection from them. i knew it would be more heavily spice because it has “spicy” in the title, but i feel like there were so many scenes we didn’t need and i would have appreciated scenes of them just being together. most scenes of just them two were spice and i wanted to see them being a couple or loving towards each other or something. i know they were a fwb type of relationship but it quickly changed to more, and we still only saw those types of scenes from them.

overall, i had a great time and i am glad i started this series!!

[edie-may ౨ৎ [exams hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── 4.25 stars .ᐟ ₊˚ෆ ⋆


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 「 ‎ ❝ Take me to church, Emmy. ❞ ‎ 」


‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ read: december 26 • 2025
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ age rating: 17+
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ spice level: 3/5
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ content warnings: sexual content, strong language, threats of SA, violence


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──


.۶ৎ. ݁˖ ⋮ ⌗ 🫧 ‎꒰ now playing: ꒱

‎ ‎ » [ the very first night - taylor swift ] «
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 0:32 ─〇───── 3:20
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

‎ ‎ ╰⪼┆ᯓᰔ〝 cause they don’t know about the night in the hotel. they weren’t riding in the car when we both fell. didn’t read the note on the polaroid picture. they don’t know how much i miss you. 〞


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──


.۶ৎ. ݁˖ ⋮ ⌗ ⛸️ ‎꒰ main tropes: ꒱

‎ ‎ ⤿ black cat gf x golden retriever bf
‎ ‎ ⤿ found family
‎ ‎ ⤿ friends with benefits
‎ ‎ ⤿ he falls first
‎ ‎ ⤿ hockey romance


.۶ৎ. ݁˖ ⋮ ⌗ 🏒 ‎꒰ review: ꒱

‎ ‎ a cheesy, cliché hockey romance is just what the doctor ordered. i mean that literally, because i am unbearably sick right now (again), but this book genuinely may have cleared my sinuses. i wasn’t expecting to sit and read this in a single evening but not a cell in my body is complaining. that’s saying a lot considering this book had a healthy dose of spice sprinkled in there but i was too busy grinning to cringe at the way it was written. that is an astronomical accomplishment. bravo, chelsea curto.


.۶ৎ. ݁˖ ⋮ ⌗ 🩵 ‎꒰ characters: ꒱

‎ ‎ ‎ ⇢ emmy hartwell .ᐟ
‎ ‎ she is so easy to love. i’m so glad we’re getting appreciation for tall muscular girls here because they are not mentioned nearly enough. i wanted this woman to put me on a leash. plus the female friendships?? shoutout to all the girlies in this book for being absolute divas. their friend group is so special to me.

‎ ‎ ‎ ⇢ maverick miller .ᐟ
‎ ‎ ‎ little bit of a rough start but he said ‘atta girl’ and it was basically ‘proper name place name backstory stuff’ from there on out. and he’s a whimperer? a munch? a ‘good boy’? goodness me, i’m sweating and it’s not from illness.

‎ ‎ ‎ ⇢ others .ᐟ
‎ ‎ ‎ hudson hayes ; a little respect for women can get you very very far!! i want to place a bow on this pretty little princess. i am so bafflingly down bad for this man it’s crazy.
‎ ‎ ‎ liam sullivan ; i can truly appreciate a man who shuts the fuck up. can’t wait for his book because i know that i am going to absolutely melt.


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──


.۶ৎ. ݁˖ ⋮ ⌗ ‎꒰ series reviews: ꒱

‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #1. face off ; 4.25 ★
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #2. power play ; 4.00 ★
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #3. slap shot ; ? ★
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #4. hat trick ; ? ★
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #5. sin bin ; ? ★
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #6. cross check ; ? ★
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ #7. weak side ; ? ★


.۶ৎ. ݁˖ ⋮ ⌗ ‎꒰ pre-read: ꒱

‎ ‎ i’m sick, i’m tired, i’m in desperate need of an easy-to-read romance. heard nothing but good things about this book so i’m going in with (medium) high hopes. fingers crossed… — ( prediction ; 3.75 ☆ )


જ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

[EM · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 100th book in 2025!!

This book was a solid start to the series. The found-family trope has definitely baited me into continuing with the next installment. I’m looking forward to meeting Piper, Liam, Coach Brody, and Lexi.

That said, I felt the author went a little overboard in one aspect. She tried to give Maverick Miller a complete 180 from his playboy, one-night-stand-every-night image. Case in point: he tattooed June’s name (his best friend’s daughter) on his hand, dressed up as a silly carrot for Halloween to accompany her, fulfilled the wish of a girl with cancer, planned to donate his money to charity, hosted weekly dinners for his teammates, and was basically the perfect captain. It all felt slightly excessive—like his redemption arc was trying too hard to convince us.

Emmy, on the other hand, was pretty badass, and I really liked her character. Beneath that steely exterior, she showed just enough vulnerability to make her feel real and relatable. The rest of the girl squad was pretty cool too.

🏒 “It’s a shame it’s only going to be ninety-nine percent effective now. The only thing I want to do with you, pretty boy, is kick your ass on the ice,” she whispers. I swallow and try to get my bearings. She’s so close, and I fucking love it. “You think I’m pretty?” “You would only hear that part, wouldn’t you?”
🏒 That earns me another half smile from her, and I want to collect them all. Shove them in my pocket and keep them for myself.
🏒 “It’s the most obvious thing in the world.” “It is? Huh. I never noticed.” “How did you not notice?” “I don’t know.” He shrugs, and his fingers dance over my knee. “Guess I’ve been too busy looking at you.”
🏒 I never really felt like I had a home. But with Emmy next to me, I think home is wherever she is. A place I’d like to stay forever.
🏒 I don’t want her as a teammate or someone I fuck multiple times a week. I want her as so much more—a partner. A girlfriend. My best friend. I don’t know if we lose the game or not. I really don’t fucking care, because I’ve already won. I have her, and she’s the greatest prize of all.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a hot minute since I’ve read a sports romance and it was about time I changed that 🙆🏻‍♀️

“Game on, Hartwell. I hope you’re ready for war” 😈

I felt the need for a good book binge and this couldn’t have been a better way to start 🙇🏻‍♀️ 💖 ✨ I absolutely DEVOURED this book 😍 and am genuinely shocked how much I loved it! From the word go, I was hooked by Emmy’s likeable and relatable personality, and it only went up from there 🙌🏽

Emmy is the first woman to play as a professional hockey player from the D.C. Stars - need I say anymore? She is a BOSS-WOMAN 🙌🏽 But, as the only woman in her field she doesn’t get it easy. Even the captain, Maverick Miller, causes tension on the ice, but for the sake of the team, he agrees to play nice…bring on the heat ❤️‍🔥

In the first book of this series, Chelsea explores multiple themes but my favourite had to be the found family trope that is prevalent throughout the book; and better yet, it was double sided! This pair may play on ice, but they bring ALL the heat 🥵

I absolutely loved Emmy’s character. She was strong, dedicated and determined. Despite being the first woman in the NHL, she didn’t let the boys walk all over her. Furthermore, I loved reading about her and her best-friend Piper. It is so special when authors created strong female bonds, and this one was as good as it gets 🙌🏽

As for Maverick. Let’s face it, he didn’t get off to a good start, but he quickly rectified the situation, turning it on its head by supporting Emmy and making sure she knew how special she was. He definitely wasn’t the man I thought he was at the beginning of the book…turned out he was a loving golden retriever. He was incredibly thoughtful, kind and selfless. And, just as Emmy had Piper, he had his buddies close by. I particularly loved his relationship with Hudson.

One thing I absolutely adored about this relationship was that it was totally balanced. I never got the impression that one loved the other more or less than the other person. They were so in-sync, and somehow it made their connection even stronger and more beautiful to witness 😌💖✨ The chemistry in this relationship is one to be witnessed rather than explained…the witty humour between them was outstanding, the 500 question game just to get closer to her 🥹, the slow gradual progression from strangers to friends with benefits to a deeper connection was written in such a realistic way. AH, it was just perfect 👌🏽

“Every day I’m going to show you just how enough you are.” “And I’m going to show you every day how wanted you are,” 🥹

There were so many precious moments in this book that I wanted to capture and keep in my heart 🥰 Maverick went out of his way to make Emmy feel special AND I adored the way they communicated like actual adults resulting in NO 3RD ACT BREAK-UP 🙌🏽 👏🏽 It honestly made their connection even book so much better and more enjoyable to read.

And finally, at the very heart of this book is one big mismatched family that surround each other with love and support. They have both found home in each other…

"I never really felt like I had a home. But with Emmy next to me, I think home is wherever she is. A place I’d like to stay forever.” 🥹💖✨

"For so long, I’ve felt like I was alone. Chasing after something I couldn’t quite reach and running until everything in me ached. When I’m in Maverick’s arms, I think I’ve finally put my feet on the ground." 🥲💖✨

I am SO excited for Piper’s book next👀

4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 out of 5 stars!

I love by seeing the book cover in this time it's not only the MMC who's a hockey player but the FMC as well.

I know reading this is going to be so much fun!

[Yelena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope .. just nope
My expectations were high not gonna lie so the disappointment was bigger
It started good strong characters and baddie fmc then what!!! Nothing NADA borrrring ,obviously it was insta lust 👀 But still that doesn't explain the fact that I felt zeroooo chemistry between the main characters it didn't even feel right to me, one minute they're just sleeping together the other they're in love?? No thanks
Also the found family didn't deliver for me it felt ...forced I'm sorry but someone has to say it READERS CAN TELL WHEN THE AUTHOR IS TRYING TOO HARD and for me it's immediately a no
The spice was good but I'm %99 sure maverick has a sweat fetish 😭😭 anyway it wasn't bad and their banter was the only reason I didn't DNF it 🙏🏻
Thank you SK for bearing this with me 💗







Let's find out if heated rivalry destroyed my ability to read anything else or not 😭
Hopefully not reading with my girl SK🙏🏻

[aeryn rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

I want to start off this review by saying that even though I gave this book 4 stars, it's not exactly the strongest 4 stars I've given. While I did LOVE this book, there were some parts that really pissed me off and that I wasn't the biggest fan of. After finishing it, it just overall feels like an injustice to give this book anything less.

The characters in this book were my absolute stand out favorite thing about this book. I love fiestyness of Emmy and her personality as a whole. She's so badass and fierce and overall so admirable for how she carries herself and the care she shows to those around her. BUT NO ONE- AND I MEAN NO ONE- BEATS MAVERICK. MY GOD DO I LOVE THAT MAN MORE THAN AIR ITSELF. He was so, freakin, PERFECT. His character, in a broad sense, is not that unique; he's the "bad boy player" who screws any and every girl he can and he can't do a relationship WOE ME yeah we get it, it's been done a million times over. BUT THE THINGS THAT SET SHIM APART ARE HIS ACTIONS. I have never read a more caring, committed, loving male character than him. There's so many things that this man does out of the kindness of his own heart I can't list them all here. Anybody would be lucky to have a man like him in real life, it is golden treatment.

And it wasn't just them two that I fell in love with. I loved the entire hockey team honestly. The drive and love and dedication to each other was incredible and the love literally bleeds off these pages. If I had to pick a favorite of the side characters, it'd have to be Hudson. I can't wait to read his book next!

Now I do want to go over a couple things that irked me and that really made this book teeter on the rating. The first is that I felt like this book was going in circles the ENTIRE time. The dialogue felt exactly the same, the banter felt like it got old after a while, and I was cravings something new. This book is not short by any means; it's actually fairly long for a romance book. And that's fine, but it got to the point where there were times in the middle that I just wanted to give up on this book I was that frustrated.

The other is that the spicy scenes in this felt extremely excessive. What I mean by that is that it felt like this book was purposefully longer just to include the lengthy spicy scenes. I appreciated that the chemistry between the FMC and MMC wasn't purely physical and there were SO many sweet and wholesome moments, but even the spicy scenes felt so repetitive. I guess to sum it all up I would just say that a lot of the scenes throughout this book felt so similar and I was craving something more unique as the story progressed.

Overall, I feel like I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to and part of me feels a bit let down. I expected this to feel like a masterpiece and I was gonna fall in love with it, but I just didn't. However, with that being said, I did love this book for what it was. The characters and the plot of Emmy's NHL career was so powerful and I loved the strong, feminine message it gave off. I look forward to the next book in the series and I'm kinda hoping I enjoy it more on a deeper level than I did this one.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ Qᴜᴏᴛᴇꜱ:

I'm not doing this only for myself. It's for all the girls out there who have ever been told they can't. That they're not good enough, and they'll never be good enough, so why bother trying?

I've always considered myself a feminist, but there's something so goddamn sexy about a man in a backwards hat that has me ready to drop to my knees for the patriarchy.

I never really felt like I had a home. But with Emmy next to me, I think home is wherever she is. A place I'd like to stay forever.

"Impossible. I could never pretend like I don't know you. You're my favorite girl."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 💜🏒

This was recommended to me by one of my girls on booksta, but its been on my radar for AGES!! I'm going through a kindle phase currently and they're all on there, time to get lost in yet another hockey romance series 🤭