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A Sure Thing
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26Nicolas Martin had everything a man could want. A best friend turned business partner. A successful startup poised to go unicorn. A rotation of women within arm’s reach—and at arm’s length. Then one reckless decision turned it all into high-grade fertilizer.
A reckless decision is exactly what Rachel Murphy wants to make. Overhearing her fiancé tell another woman he loves her—on their wedding day—will do that. So she runs, ready to go scorched earth … only the gorgeous stranger she wants to burn it down with shuts her out. Hard.
The only thing more humiliating? Him showing up at her hockey program as her new co‑coach. But with her program’s future on the line, this time running isn’t an option.
Working together is the only answer, even as their not-so-friendly competition heats up into something neither of them can ignore. But when unexpected hope and second chances collide, they have to choose what they want more.
And that’s when the real game begins.
A reckless decision is exactly what Rachel Murphy wants to make. Overhearing her fiancé tell another woman he loves her—on their wedding day—will do that. So she runs, ready to go scorched earth … only the gorgeous stranger she wants to burn it down with shuts her out. Hard.
The only thing more humiliating? Him showing up at her hockey program as her new co‑coach. But with her program’s future on the line, this time running isn’t an option.
Working together is the only answer, even as their not-so-friendly competition heats up into something neither of them can ignore. But when unexpected hope and second chances collide, they have to choose what they want more.
And that’s when the real game begins.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 21, 2026
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April 30, 2026I have beta read this story and you're all in for a treat ❤️
Review of advance copy
We need 1/2 stars bc this one is a solid 4.5 ⭐️ - the 3rd book in A Bluebird Sky series really brought the whole world together.
We meet Rachel in book one as Jill’s friend from the pet shelter. Rachel finds out her fiancé is a cheater and a serious loser on their wedding day. She decides the best way to get over someone is to get under someone new so she hits the bar. She flirts with Nick / Nico who also is a familiar face - book 1: asshole best friend and shitty business partner, and book 2: Cass (perfection in FMC form) has a long time hook up that is a total f*ckboy… hint, it’s Nick.
Anyway Nick, who is now Nico, is trying to be better after Cass put him in his place. He’s also taking care of his prodigy teen sister while struggling with the guilt of his personal & professional relation fails. Even though he is HOT for Rachel, he turns her down. Flash forward to the hockey rink and the smallest world of worlds, they a co-coaches for the season.
The tension is palatable between them - flirty, tense, competitive. It build and then when it combusts, it’s an absolute firestorm. These two bring out the best in one another. Nico finds the strength to own his past mistakes and truly give his heart to someone. Rachel learns that her wants aren’t selfish and it’s okay to let someone take care of you. A little surprise when they find out just how small and interconnected their world really is but we skip the 3rd act drama bc these characters are evolved and don’t fall into the classic miscommunication trope.
Out of all the books in this series, this one is my favorite. 🤩
We meet Rachel in book one as Jill’s friend from the pet shelter. Rachel finds out her fiancé is a cheater and a serious loser on their wedding day. She decides the best way to get over someone is to get under someone new so she hits the bar. She flirts with Nick / Nico who also is a familiar face - book 1: asshole best friend and shitty business partner, and book 2: Cass (perfection in FMC form) has a long time hook up that is a total f*ckboy… hint, it’s Nick.
Anyway Nick, who is now Nico, is trying to be better after Cass put him in his place. He’s also taking care of his prodigy teen sister while struggling with the guilt of his personal & professional relation fails. Even though he is HOT for Rachel, he turns her down. Flash forward to the hockey rink and the smallest world of worlds, they a co-coaches for the season.
The tension is palatable between them - flirty, tense, competitive. It build and then when it combusts, it’s an absolute firestorm. These two bring out the best in one another. Nico finds the strength to own his past mistakes and truly give his heart to someone. Rachel learns that her wants aren’t selfish and it’s okay to let someone take care of you. A little surprise when they find out just how small and interconnected their world really is but we skip the 3rd act drama bc these characters are evolved and don’t fall into the classic miscommunication trope.
Out of all the books in this series, this one is my favorite. 🤩
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July 6, 2026✨ ARC REVIEW • A Sure Thing by Ellory Douglas ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️+
Thank you so much to Ellory Douglas for providing me with an ARC copy of A Sure Thing! 💕
One of my favorite parts of this book was that it takes place in Calgary, Alberta—a city I know and love! It was so much fun recognizing places throughout the story, and I may have even Googled one of the pizza places that was mentioned to see if it was real... IT IS! Safe to say it's now on my list to try 🍕
This was my first Ellory Douglas book, and even though this is Book 3 in the Bluebird Sky series, I never felt lost. I really appreciated the recap at the beginning that introduced the characters and events from the previous books. It made jumping into Nico's story so easy, and now I definitely want to go back and read the first two!
The forced proximity between Nico and our black cat FMC while co-coaching a kids' hockey program led to some of the funniest banter. "Coach Asshole," the constant "shut the f*ck up," and all their back-and-forth had me smiling the whole way through.
What I loved most was that their relationship wasn't instant. Nico had to earn her trust, and watching him consistently show up for both her and the hockey kids made their relationship feel genuine and believable. Add in a lovable supporting cast, an adorable dog, and a surprise near the end that I didn't see coming, and this turned into such a fun read.
Overall, this was a sweet, funny romance that left me smiling and has me excited to read more from Ellory Douglas. If you love witty banter, forced proximity, hockey, and characters who truly grow together, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up!
📚📚Emily📚📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️+
Thank you so much to Ellory Douglas for providing me with an ARC copy of A Sure Thing! 💕
One of my favorite parts of this book was that it takes place in Calgary, Alberta—a city I know and love! It was so much fun recognizing places throughout the story, and I may have even Googled one of the pizza places that was mentioned to see if it was real... IT IS! Safe to say it's now on my list to try 🍕
This was my first Ellory Douglas book, and even though this is Book 3 in the Bluebird Sky series, I never felt lost. I really appreciated the recap at the beginning that introduced the characters and events from the previous books. It made jumping into Nico's story so easy, and now I definitely want to go back and read the first two!
The forced proximity between Nico and our black cat FMC while co-coaching a kids' hockey program led to some of the funniest banter. "Coach Asshole," the constant "shut the f*ck up," and all their back-and-forth had me smiling the whole way through.
What I loved most was that their relationship wasn't instant. Nico had to earn her trust, and watching him consistently show up for both her and the hockey kids made their relationship feel genuine and believable. Add in a lovable supporting cast, an adorable dog, and a surprise near the end that I didn't see coming, and this turned into such a fun read.
Overall, this was a sweet, funny romance that left me smiling and has me excited to read more from Ellory Douglas. If you love witty banter, forced proximity, hockey, and characters who truly grow together, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up!
📚📚Emily📚📚
June 25, 2026
✨ 🚨 ARC Book Review: A Sure Thing by Ellory Douglas 🚨 ✨
BookTok had me convinced that Nico was the absolute villain of this series. Since I hadn’t read the first two books, it was hard not to believe every single allegation against him. But now that I’ve finally read A Sure Thing? I get it… and I don’t.
Was he probably a menace in the earlier books? Maybe. But give me a redemption arc and I’ll eat it up every single time. It’s one of my favourite tropes, and Nico’s journey made this such an enjoyable read.
There’s something special about indie romances. They feel real. The emotions are messy, the situations believable, and the characters are wonderfully flawed. A Sure Thing doesn’t rely on grand gestures or larger-than-life drama; instead, its simplicity becomes its greatest strength—making it a sure thing indeed. (Pun absolutely intended.)
Ellory Douglas writes beautifully layered characters and ties the storylines together so seamlessly that I never felt lost despite jumping into book three first. The redemption arc is simple, heartfelt, and surprisingly profound.
This is my first book by Ellory, but now I’m incredibly tempted to go back and read the first two books just to witness Nico’s villain era for myself. Although, I should warn you—I already love him, so I doubt anything will change my mind. It’ll just be fun to see that side of him too.
Rating: Worth A Read
Love: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
BookTok had me convinced that Nico was the absolute villain of this series. Since I hadn’t read the first two books, it was hard not to believe every single allegation against him. But now that I’ve finally read A Sure Thing? I get it… and I don’t.
Was he probably a menace in the earlier books? Maybe. But give me a redemption arc and I’ll eat it up every single time. It’s one of my favourite tropes, and Nico’s journey made this such an enjoyable read.
There’s something special about indie romances. They feel real. The emotions are messy, the situations believable, and the characters are wonderfully flawed. A Sure Thing doesn’t rely on grand gestures or larger-than-life drama; instead, its simplicity becomes its greatest strength—making it a sure thing indeed. (Pun absolutely intended.)
Ellory Douglas writes beautifully layered characters and ties the storylines together so seamlessly that I never felt lost despite jumping into book three first. The redemption arc is simple, heartfelt, and surprisingly profound.
This is my first book by Ellory, but now I’m incredibly tempted to go back and read the first two books just to witness Nico’s villain era for myself. Although, I should warn you—I already love him, so I doubt anything will change my mind. It’ll just be fun to see that side of him too.
Rating: Worth A Read
Love: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I got an ARC and was so excited to read it! I really enjoyed book 1 and 2 of the series and loved book 2.5 - A Better Engagement. A Sure Thing hit it out of the park and is the author's best novel to date. This novel really puts the author in the same category as Carley Fortune and Elsie Silver and gave me all the feels. I was thoroughly enjoying the novel, but once I got about halfway through, I couldn't put it down. This is on my list of favourite reads this year.
The dual POVs were great, and both main characters were both on their own journey throughout the book and working on themselves the best they knew how. The way Nico was so down bad for Rachel was so good! It was the redemption arc for Nico that I didn't know I wanted until I read it. The way Rachel was unapologetic and working to move forward was relatable. An impenitent queen!
The dual POVs were great, and both main characters were both on their own journey throughout the book and working on themselves the best they knew how. The way Nico was so down bad for Rachel was so good! It was the redemption arc for Nico that I didn't know I wanted until I read it. The way Rachel was unapologetic and working to move forward was relatable. An impenitent queen!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Super cute book and a really quick and smooth read!
I haven’t read the first two books in the standalone series but she gave a nice little recap of important details to help you get by! I did find it a bit hard to get into at first since a lot of the details from the first two books seemed to shape the first couple of chapters. These details never really got deep in this one, I assume because of how involved they were in book 1.
I really loved the characters though! I fell for them immediately and found it really hard to put the book down so I could go to work.
Definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a cute cozy vibes, low stakes romance. Bonus points that it’s set in Calgary, AB.
I haven’t read the first two books in the standalone series but she gave a nice little recap of important details to help you get by! I did find it a bit hard to get into at first since a lot of the details from the first two books seemed to shape the first couple of chapters. These details never really got deep in this one, I assume because of how involved they were in book 1.
I really loved the characters though! I fell for them immediately and found it really hard to put the book down so I could go to work.
Definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a cute cozy vibes, low stakes romance. Bonus points that it’s set in Calgary, AB.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Being a street team member I got to read this prior to release. Fans of A Bluebird Sky series will truly enjoy this story - especially if you like sexy male Hockey Players.
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