The Wrong Playbook

For The Arena #3

by Bree Hayden

Blurb coming soon...

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Hockey Romance, College, Sports, He Falls First

ebook

Published August 4, 2026

About the author

A lover of romances, it’s not unusual to find Bree Hayden curled up with a book, sobbing her eyes out. On the off chance she’s doing real-life things, she resides in Washington, tries to get birds to whistle along with her, and enjoys baking ancient recipes in the hopes one actually tastes good.

Check out Bree’s newsletter for playlists (they’re pretty good), upcoming character art (that’s way better), chances to read her books before anybody else (!!!), and free extra stories about the characters in her novels (the best!!!)

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're back baby!!! 4.5⭐ rounded up. Thank you so much for the ARC. I had a blast reading this and will be securing a trophy.

I LOVED NICK AND TALLULAH!!

Sometimes you just need a romance where he's just obsessed. In the messiest way. But honestly, it all made sense. I actually appreciate how it was handled in the end... Keeping it real.

And my girl T?!?!? Love to see an introvert finding her voice and standing up for herself. She surprised me in the best way.

The villain in this story had my blood boiling. Well done Bree! Had me shocked, angry and laughing on the same pageultiple times.

I'm guessing Montoya is up next! Or at least hoping.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

I want to give past me a kiss on the forhead for signing up for this ARC. I had completely forgotten about it so ooo what a pleasant surprise it was to start this and fall in love with it instantly!

From chapter 1 I was hooked and I just knew I'd be a die hard Nick-Tallulah fan! I honestly have no remark.

The book was long but that just made me love it even more! I was so scared that I'd reach the end within a day bc I couldn't put it down but the story kept going and uh I just loved it.

I'm so excited to read more books by Bree Hayden

Thanks to the author for the ARC! 💞

[Jess (lucky.bookclub) Hilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid college hockey romance with a lot of moving pieces, but it didn’t fully come together for me.

I really appreciated the diversity in this story. Tallulah’s Indigenous background and Nick’s Japanese American and Brazilian heritage were woven in thoughtfully, and I liked how the book explored identity, family, and where you come from. The way anxiety was portrayed, especially through Tallulah, also felt real and was something I connected with.

That said, I struggled a bit with the overall execution. There were a lot of plot threads happening at once, and at times it felt a little scattered. I also didn’t feel fully connected to the characters. They both had growth, but I wanted more depth to really believe in them and their relationship.

Some of the bigger plot points, especially around the journalism storyline, felt a bit rushed and not as grounded as I expected, which pulled me out of the story.

This definitely leans more new adult, with a strong focus on self-discovery, relationships, and sexual exploration, which will absolutely work for the right reader.

Overall, while this one wasn’t quite for me, I can see it finding a strong audience, especially for readers who enjoy college sports romances with coming-of-age themes.

Thank you so much to Bree Hayden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕

[han ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“everything i’ve done this summer i’ve done because i love you.”

i applied for this arc so long ago that it felt like a cute little surprise waiting in my inbox when i get approved. this was a new to me author and she blew this book out of the freaking water. needless to say, i’ll be reading her backlist very, very soon.

i felt so seen by tallulah when it came to her anxiety, because anxiety is truly a bitch and SO debilitating sometimes. she was shy and nerdy and adorable, and felt like she didn’t belong because her anxiety would get the better of her. so many things that she dealt with were very personal to me, and it means a lot that the anxiety rep was so huge in this book. whenever tallulah was in a position where she had to raise her voice or confront somebody, i was rooting for my girl 110%. even if her voice shook or she stuttered, she did the damn thing and i’m so proud of her. she deserves the world and more.

nick was such a sweet angel baby and insanely, horrendously down bad for tallulah that my heart was hurting from how badly he wanted her. he truly saw her and is the definition of “if he wanted to, he would”. he went to a whole different country because he wanted tallulah, even reluctantly adopted a cat and let her live in his room for her, so if that isn’t a man who means business, i don’t know what is. he was so supportive of tallulah, even if he didn’t really understand her anxiety at first, but he genuinely listened to her and saw her for who she was.

oh, and rat is absolutely my favourite side character. i’m obsessed with her and her ridiculous name. i need art of her immediately.

thank you so, so much to the author for the e-arc! i absolutely loved this book and i can’t wait to see whose book is next <3

𑣲 ex’s best friend
𑣲 college hockey
𑣲 spicy bucket list
𑣲 reformed playboy
𑣲 good girl gone bad

[Lucy Higgott · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW AS ARC READER- RECEIVED AN ADVANCED COPY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

Ice hockey romance is one of my favourite genres, with Icebreaker, Consider Me, and The Deal all sitting firmly at the top of my favourites list. After reading this book, I think I may have to make room for another.
My love of ice hockey romances even inspired me to watch my local ice hockey team play, and I absolutely loved it. I finally got to experience what Instagram/TikTok has affectionately dubbed "the boy aquarium" for myself, which made me even more excited to dive into this story.
So, when I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy, I couldn't wait to get started.

What really stood out for me was the unique representation and strong character relationships. One of my favourites is obviously the core relationship of Nick and Tallulah. Nick is so supportive of Tallulah, especially when it comes to her anxiety. Rather than trying to fix her, he’s open about being there for her in whatever way she needs which made their relationship feel caring and realistic. Although I have never suffered from anxiety in that kind of way, I felt like it was portrayed well throughout the book.

The romance develops at a believable pace. Nick has a reputation as a playboy, so makes up a romance bucket list to complete with Tallulah whereas she has a sex bucket list that she decides to complete with him. Tallulah had made the sex bucket list whilst she was with her ex “Fridge” (Nick’s best friend) and they had only ticked off one item as Fridge felt some of them were a bit extreme. Nick completely falls first, even admitting he wishes he’d asked Tallulah out before she dated Fridge, but recognises it may not have worked out at that time and he wouldn’t change how things happened. Their chemistry, along with the hockey team banter, made the story fun and engaging. One thing I will always love about sports romances especially Ice-Hockey ones is when the FMC wears the MMC jersey with their name on and how possessive they get over it. Love it in books and kind of love it in real life.

Another highlight of this book was the cultural representation. Tallulah is Native American (Cherokee) X American which plays an important role throughout the book, I hadn’t come across this in a romance before so that was nice. Nick’s Brazilian and Japanese heritage was also a nice bonus with some scenes remarking about it. I felt both of their heritages was represented well and weaved well throughout the book with little cultural tit bits seen which didn’t make it feel like the author was using it as a way of adding representation for the sake of it.

One storyline I’m very much sitting on the fence about is the sacrifices Nick makes for Tallulah. In the first part of the book he follows her to Canada for the summer (she has got a journalistic internship as part of the Olympics). He signs for a team for the summer who he knows his former trainer/owner for the Olympics(Nick was on the Olympic ice hockey team) is very heavily involved in. This person (Tomasini) is a former player and is physically, mentally and verbally abusive towards Nick, other players and members of staff. So it made me very conflicted that Nick would put himself in harms way for Tallulah. Towards the end of the book Tallulah gets her dream job (investigative reporter for a paper near where her parents live) after exposing Tomasini’s abuse (Big Up and enjoyed that part). Nick signs a 7 year contract with a lower level hockey team when he is being scouted by teams who are in higher leagues, so they can stay together. While it is very romantic, I couldn’t help feeling concerned that he was giving up his career and wellbeing for her.

My biggest frustration was Fridge. Even long after breaking up with Tallulah, he still acts as though he has a claim on her as she’s “wife material” and would have expected them to get back together and move with him to California where he has a professional contract once graduating. He remains close with her parents, who even talk about him visiting with them despite him being her ex. His refusal towards the end to accept that Tallulah and Nick are together becomes increasingly childish. By the end of the book, Nick is still blocked on everything by Fridge, and Fridge even goes to his professional team a year early rather than finish college where Nick and Tallulah are. It felt like there should have been some resolution or growth within him as he essentially threw his toys out the pram, which was then left hanging. But possibly a potential for a future Fridge novel ? Also love the little tit bit that Tallulah’s parents are rock and roll hall of famers.

LOVED the epilogue, which jumps ahead a number of years in time which shows a happy Nick as a husband and father. It was such a heartwarming ending which I have re read a lot. He takes her name post marriage but is never explained why (his jerseys still say his maiden name but only as he says they were already done). The bonus chapter, where Nick refuses to have sex with her and wants to take care of her which further makes her realise their connection. To which she tells him “I love you so much. I’m going to have your kids” which was a lovely moment between them both. Sex scenes were 10/10 especially that one in the bar in the bonus chapter. Only thing I would say is that I really don’t like is when she calls him daddy during sex but that is just my personal preference more than anything.

Overall, this was a sweet, emotional and entertaining ice hockey romance with a believable relationship, memorable characters, and refreshing cultural representation. Whilst I wasn’t entirely on board with some of Nick’s sacrifices, I still found myself rooting for Tallulah and Nick from beginning to end. Nick makes Tallulah feel seen which is an important aspect in any relationship even with friends and family. If you enjoy sports romances with plenty of heart, heat and a hero who falls hard, this is definitely worth reading.

Thanks again to the author for the advanced copy, I will definitely read more of her work in the future.

[sierra ꪆ&#x133f2; · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book and I truly was not let down in the slightest.

I have only read the first book in this series but picking this one up I immediately felt that I was visiting my family (MONTOYA MY ELITE CLIENT). This book was messy but it was overall so much fun and I loved every second of it. I will also add that as an indigenous woman I loved seeing indigenous representation in this book!!

Thank you so much to Bree Hayden for the ARC :D

[er · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc!

The wrong playbook is the third book in the For the Arena series, but can be read as a standalone without issues. In this book we follow Tallulah, a shy university student that lands an internship in Canada for the Olympics, and Nick, an hockey player.

I’ve been eyeing Bree Hayden’s works for a while now, so when I saw this was available as read now on Netgalley I decided to pick it up and finally read one of her books. Unfortunately it was a little underwhelming for me, it wasn’t a bad book and I’m sure a lot of readers will appreciate it but it just wasn’t it for me. I needed something more to fully keep me in the story and to make me really care about the main characters.

I wasn’t fully convinced by the setting, it was confusing at times and there was a lot going on, maybe even too much going on. We’re supposedly at the Summer Olympics but there’s also some sort of semi-professional hockey league going on at the same time, I don’t know I couldn’t really wrap my head around it. Also, Tomasini. I don’t get his role, he controls everything and everyone, he’s an hockey coach but he also has control of the Olympics and the internship. Again, he’s everywhere but what’s his real role?

I liked Tallulah and Nick as a couple, they were very cute and sweet. I think they complemented each other nicely, I enjoyed reading their journeys of self discovery and also seeing them support each other. The side characters were a little meh, they were there but they didn’t really do anything.

A big part of the book is Tallulah’s anxiety, I liked the way her character was written and the anxiety rep. I think the author did a nice job representing it.

[Juliana Garza-James · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

📖Format: Kindle (ARC)

As a huge hockey romance reader, this may be in my top 3 favorite hockey romances of all time. There was so much depth to the plot, individual characters, & the relationship.

I absolutely loved the representation of Tallulah, the FMC, being indigenous and having bad anxiety. As someone who also struggles with anxiety, I thought her anxiety was written so realistically and consistently throughout the book.

Nick, the MMC, embodies the “he fell first” trope. Even with his faults, he’s still the perfect book boyfriend! Nick & Tallulah’s relationship reminded me so much of my husband and I which made me love them so much more.

I loved that there was an actual plot/storyline that had depth yet didn’t overshadow the relationship & romance. There was a good mix of spicy scenes as well that didn’t feel like too much too often.

Overall, I absolutely devoured this book and am looking into reading the rest of the series! <3

[JuwairiyyahDawood · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
This book was such a fun Rollercoaster.

Ex's best friend. Celibacy and bucket lists.

Who would have thought the #UCKBoY would find a love so sweet. But from his best friends ex. Although he did see her first. So Dibs counts right.

This book was so different from other Hockey books like they focus on what the players go through. The Bromance and and not only fixated on the hockey games. I could not put it down. My heart broke for Nick when I found out what he qnd others went through.
Tallullah is so BadA$$. Putting herself first and standing up for herself and the people she loves.

Like I said Rollercoaster but an amazing one.

I recommend you add this to your TBR.

[Srahhreadsx · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! 🥰 It was such a fun, easy romance to get lost in!

I LOVED the good girl/bad boy dynamic and the chemistry between Nick and Tullulah. It was also great to see the anxiety representation as an anxiety ridden girly myself:

I felt it had less hockey more romance but it plenty of cute moments, some good tension and an overall ✨ vibes✨

Definitely one I’d recommend if you enjoy college romances, opposites attract, hockey romance and a little bit of bad-boy energy. 🏒💕

[Erin Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-ARC KINDLY RECEIVED FROM NETGALLEY

strong fan of a sports romance anyway but I really enjoyed this book. Liked the character progression and the awareness/education of anxiety throughout.

Nick was always gonna be the top choice really?! Didn’t like the ex-boyfriend character from the start and throughout. Don’t even start me on the toxic excuse of a coach.

I like the slow burn and he falls first trope and the grumpy sunshine trope that also couldn’t be further from the truth!

[Anna DiCiurcio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, and Bree Hayden for letting me read this!

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me and I decided to not finish it at about 60%. I loved the concept, but I felt it was going in a lot of directions and the MMCs lack of communication about his past annoyed me too much especially with the weird dynamic with the previous coach. I did like the FMC and the anxiety representation

[Hayley Marrinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc from Author!!!

I had such a great time with this book! Nick and Tallulah were so cute together, and I loved how their relationship grew!! The way nick seemed to see her, and make a conscious effort to be different from her ex was really perfect!! Had such a fun time reading this!!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I feel loved,” I said simply because I didn’t know what else to say.
——
Happy to have had the chance to start this as an ARC reader. While it felt like it took a couple chapters for the story to find its footing, once Tullulah and Nick made it to Canada I really started to vibe with the characters’. It was nice to see both their individual character growth and the challenges they were able to confront together…and now I kind of want to check out Niagara Falls?

[Aneta K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/author for a copy of the eARC.

I normally enjoy hockey romances, but this one unfortunately didn’t work for me.

The MMC is completely obsessed with the FMC from the moment he sees her. When his best friend starts dating her first, instead of moving on, he becomes even more determined to have her. After the FMC breaks up with her boyfriend, the MMC sees his chance and follows her to Canada, where she’s doing her internship. It came across more creepy than romantic, which made it difficult for me to root for them from the start.

The romance also develops incredibly fast. Rather than showing why these two belong together through actions, we’re mostly told that they’re perfect for each other. I never really felt the chemistry or emotional connection, so I struggled to become invested in their relationship.

[Ema Afonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank’s to the author for the ARC .

A book with a great story and excellent characters who have different problems but help each other.

Some scenes I didn't like so much and that's why the book was 4 ⭐️

This book is very spicy but it goes far beyond their relationship.

I really enjoyed Tallulah's evolution throughout the book. She evolved so much, I was so proud of her. 😭

“You’ve never been invisible to me, Tallulah.”

This situation says it all about Nick. He's obsessed with Tallulah and he's so cute.

I really want to read Bree's other books.

[Melissa penfold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be chosen as an ARC reader and What a wild ride! Personally I’ve never felt more seen in the “anxiety” parts. You really captured the feelings which is definitely not easy! You had ma staying awake bc I needed to know what happened. I look forward to the next book!

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been pinning for her for years but did I miss my opportunity to be with the girl of my dreams. Have hope no he didn’t. Not only did she need to relax, get out of her head but she needed Nick. This was the cutest ending ever and I’m glad Rat the cat was saved and ended up with a loving family. So cute

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Bree Hayden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This college hockey, spicy, romance was messy but cute at the same time.

Nick was a playboy through and through and kind of unlikeable until the end, but he had it down bad for Tallulah for sure. I think this character had growth I just would have liked to see more of this like .. I would have liked to see him change while Tallulah was with Fridge because it was just kind of mentioned. My favorite part of this book was Tallulah and Nick… the banter between the two of them. Bree you can write some banter because I wanted the whole book to just be the two of them haha!! He literally moved to a team he hated with an awful owner just to be with her.

Nick: “Hey, you’re the first girl I’ve ever felt breathless around. I can’t tell if I have a crush on you or if I’m having a premature heart attack. Want to catch a movie?”

Nick: “Just spending time together,” I replied while Tallulah gaped at me. “We haven’t been dating long.” I laced my fingers through Tallulah’s. “I should’ve asked you out the second I saw you. Every day I spent not kissing you was a mistake.”

Nick: Her eyes met the camera again, gazing back at me, and my heart thumped, off-beat. I could look at her for the rest of the night. For the rest of my life. Her smile was dazzling. Slowly, she talked about her book.

Tallulah: “Why don’t you just be honest and tell me that you like me?”
Nick: “Because I don’t ‘like’ you, Tallulah. Goddammit, I love you!”

The sarcasm between the two, the love declarations, the funny, witty comebacks, and their relationship development was great. Even the awkward moments were genuine because that does happen!

Nick: I needed to say something funny. Something to recover. One of the gate agents took to the microphone. “It looks like we have a Luxury Air flyer today! We’d like to personally thank our premium, exclusive Luxury Air flyer and welcome them to be first aboard!” That was perfect. I dipped down to Tallulah. “What kind of rich pr*ck a**hole has them read off the shit like that?” Tallulah’s face darkened with a blush, stumbling over her words.
Tallulah: “That—that would be me.”

Nick: “You were right—the cat’s a girl. They’re sure she’s feral. They shot her up with a thousand vaccines. I got her cat nip because I thought that was, like, a treat? It’s not, it’s drugs.” I burst into surprised laughter, overjoyed

Nick: “I didn’t spontaneously become attracted to you.”
Tallulah: “I—I thought…” I twisted my hands. “I thought you wanted to sleep with me because we’re both from Marrs, and we know each other, and…it was convenient, and…”
Nick: “No. That’s not it at all.”
Tallulah: “Since when?” I whispered.
Nick: “Do you really want to know?” “Yes.”“Because the fun’ll end here.”
Tallulah: “I want to know.” Nick took a step closer, setting the books on an empty bookshelf.
Nick: “Since our classes. Since I first saw you. That’s when I wanted you.”

Tallulah: I sighed, pleased. “It’s so easy falling in love with you.”
Nick: “I’m not falling. I already fell,” Nick said so quietly, his words faded in with the night air. “I broke into pieces and they’re all yours.”

Tallulah suffered from anxiety and I think Bree depicted this well all the thoughts racing through your head and her overcoming this. I do think maybe therapy depicted would have benefited in this because as someone who struggles and has a very supportive husband, you have to learn to love yourself and getting there I feel takes more than just a partner it takes real long time work, and so even if it was stated at the end that she had went I think that would have been even better, but overall it was great Tallulah showed such tremendous growth and strength. Loved when she FINALLY stood up for herself with pretty much everyone.

Tallulah: “You’ll never, ever know what it’s like to be invisible,” I whispered. “You just won’t. You’re not that kind of person. But you don’t make me feel invisible. You make me feel important. And you’ll never know what that means to someone who’s used to disappearing.”
Nick: “You’ve never been invisible to me, Tallulah,” he said, his voice low.

Nick: “No, anxiety sucks, because it makes you think that you’re to blame. With everything. With anything. That you’re inconveniencing people. That you can’t be happy and take that happiness. Your anxiety convinces you that you don’t deserve it. But this is the truth—” I cut the distance between us, taking her chin between my fingers, making sure she understood every word. “Being with you is a goddamn gift.”

Tallulah: “You make me feel…bold,” she said, trying out the word. “Steadfast. Unwavering.”

Tallulah: I wanted to be loved, respected, and cared for, because that’s what I would do for someone. I wouldn’t accept anything less.

Tallulah: “I love you,” I said it again, testing out the words, humming in pleasure. “I love you. You and all of your rough edges and ridiculous decisions and your weird ideas of romantic gestures—I love you.”

The book was long and I think the pacing was a little off for me. Some of the things that happened in the book could have been cut out and the just focusing on one specific plot line and going with that and building on that while keeping all the relationship building between the characters. The tumultuous relationship between Nick and her parents felt rushed at the end and kind of unnecessary to me, them still wanting her to be with Fridge. I think some of the other things that happened I forgot about because there was just too much. I also struggled with understanding her relationship with her parents that was hard for me.

I also actually liked the sexual exploration, and I think it was done well as they are just in college and Tallulah was finally able to explore things that she previously could not and I think this was done well. The diversity in this book was also enjoyable, and I was happy to see it!

Nick: “The stuff you’re asking for can be done, Tallulah.” Slowly, Nick shifted closer. “You’ve just been asking the wrong person.”
Tallulah: “The—the wrong person?”
Nick: “Yeah. You should’ve asked me.”

[The Girl Behind the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Every romance asks the same question in a different way.

What if someone loved you enough to stay?

The Wrong Playbook asks a different one.

What if someone loved the version of you you've spent your whole life trying to hide?

Somewhere between the hockey games, the stolen glances, and the slow unraveling of two beautifully imperfect people, Bree Hayden quietly reminds us that the greatest love stories aren't about changing for someone else, they're about finally becoming yourself because someone made you feel safe enough to do it.

And if you've ever convinced yourself you're too quiet, too anxious, too awkward, too much, or somehow never enough, there's a good chance you'll find a little bit of yourself somewhere in these pages.

Romance heroines are often written as women we aspire to become. They're witty at exactly the right moment, effortlessly confident, and somehow always know the perfect thing to say. Tallulah isn't interested in being aspirational in that sense. She spends so much of the novel negotiating with her own mind that, at times, the biggest obstacle isn't the plot, it's convincing herself she deserves to take up space. Watching Bree Hayden write anxiety without turning it into a personality trait or a source of comic relief was one of the most refreshing parts of this book. Tallulah doesn't become fearless. She simply grows tired of letting fear make every decision for her, and somehow that feels infinitely more inspiring.

Fictional men have become almost impossible to impress us with. Romance readers have raised the bar so high that every new MMC has to compete with a growing list of unforgettable book boyfriends. Nick never tries to outshine them. Instead, he does something far more interesting: he feels possible. His growth isn't built on grand speeches or impossible perfection. It's found in small choices, uncomfortable accountability, and the quiet realization that becoming a better man isn't something you do to win the girl, it's something you do because you're finally ready to become one. That's what made me fall for him.

One thing Bree Hayden understands exceptionally well is that intimacy starts long before anyone ends up in the same bed. Every lingering look, every conversation that reveals another hidden insecurity, and every moment where Nick chooses patience over pressure quietly build the emotional tension until the physical intimacy feels inevitable rather than expected. By the time those scenes arrive, they never feel like they're there simply because the genre expects them, or because they're just another item to check off on Tallulah's bucket list. Instead, they become another conversation between two people who have finally learned to trust each other.

If I had to put a number on it, I'd rate the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️☆ (4/5 chilies). It's undeniably steamy, but what makes it memorable isn't how explicit it is. It's the emotional weight behind every scene. The chemistry isn't built through physical attraction alone; it's built through vulnerability, trust, and the quiet certainty that these two people have finally found someone they can be completely themselves with.

The easiest thing Bree Hayden could have done with this premise was lean into the drama. After all, "best friend's ex" practically writes its own conflict. Instead, she takes the more difficult route. The external circumstances may bring Nick and Tallulah together, but the real conflict has always lived inside them. That's what makes this story feel less like a romance built around a trope and more like two people slowly giving each other permission to become who they've wanted to be all along.

That's what impressed me most about The Wrong Playbook. It never asks its characters to become different people in order to deserve love. Instead, it asks them to believe they're already worthy of it, and then challenges them to become better versions of themselves, not because someone demanded it, but because someone believed they were capable of it.

When I finished this book, I wasn't thinking about the hockey games, the trope, or even my favorite romantic moments.

I was thinking about how many versions of ourselves we hide just to make other people comfortable.
Maybe that's the real playbook this story was trying to rewrite.

And if you finish this story feeling just a little kinder toward yourself than when you started, then I think Bree Hayden accomplished something far greater than writing a great romance.
She wrote a story that reminds us that the best kind of love doesn't change who we are.
It gives us the courage to finally become ourselves.

Finally, I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am to have had the opportunity to read The Wrong Playbook as an ARC reader. Thank you, Bree Hayden, for trusting me with an early copy of Nick and Tallulah's story. It was a privilege to experience their journey before publication, and I'm so excited for readers everywhere to fall in love with them the way I did. I can't wait to see what you write next.

Overall: ★★★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️☆ (4/5)
Would I reread it? Without hesitation.

[Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️
This is a cute hockey romance that is a very quick read.
Tallulah is a journalism major who is going to Canada to take part in an internship covering the Olympics. Nick is a hockey player on a not-so-good team in Canada, hoping to convince his crush to give him the light of day. There are a couple of problems with his plan: 1. Tallulah's ex is Nick's best friend, and 2. Nick has ignored Tallulah since they met.

Tallulah is a very sweet and quiet girl, but as Nick would say, she's a sexual freak. Tallulah's ex (which can we talk about how his name is FRIDGE, what kind of name is that?) was not interested in any of the adventurous things she wanted to try in the bedroom, and when Nick finds out about this, he is all too happy to volunteer for any of the plans she might have.

This book overall is a good read, but there were a couple of moments where I wanted to bang my head against a wall.
1. Nick and his secrets. He constantly avoided having conversations with Tallulah while also believing that she was his soulmate. He kept the truth from her about so many things, from the truth about why he was in Canada, to his relationship with his coach, to the reality of his bucket list (or lack thereof), and each time Tallulah just let it go and they never really had it out. Overall, I think this just proves that their communication skills were kind of lackluster, and it was always on Tallulah to share or try to pry anything out of Nick.
2. Tallulah's parents. Her parents LOVE Fridge (who would want their son-in-law to be called Fridge? I should have questioned them from the very beginning), and they continuously pressure Tallulah to include him in things. Fridge goes on a trip with her parents, and they regularly get meals together; they even conveniently forget to tell her that her ex-boyfriend will be at lunch with them. This is insane work. But Tallulah doesn't really say anything to them about it and just lets them keep living in fantasy land until they meet Nick. Her parents hate Nick and not in a secretive way. They literally ignore him and won't interact with him unless they're forced to, and even then they do the absolute minimum. Tallulah then tells her parents how disappointed she is in them, and they are suddenly "nice" to Nick, but they compliment him and then look at Tallulah as a way to say, "see, we can be nice to the boy. Please don't stop talking to us". It's not really about them putting in actual effort with him out of love for their daughter; it's out of fear of straining their relationship, and it rubs me the wrong way. Tallulah stood up for Nick enough for them to be passably nice to him, but not enough for them to form a genuine relationship with her boyfriend.
3. The people from the internship. Where did they go? After Tallulah moves in with Nick, they all sort of disappear except for her former roommate, and even then she's barely brought up. I think Tallulah would have done well with a friend in Canada because she literally doesn't have friends aside from Nick. She spends all of her time working, with Nick at the house, watching Nick play hockey, or volunteering at the library most of the time with Nick. I think the author explored the idea of her with friends, but it would have been a little bit more meaningful to see her actually make a friend, specifically a female friend, so she wasn't as alone.

The spice: The spice in this book is more adventurous than I was expecting. There are vibrating panties, handcuffs, video calls, and fun nicknames. The scenes are descriptive, but I would say on the short side. There are frequent sex scenes, as a lot of their relationship, especially early on, is purely physical. I would give the spice 3/5 🌶️. There were a couple of things that stood out to me about the spice in this book: 1. Nick's insistence on a safeword and 2. Nick's openness about aftercare. When showcasing characters who are having rougher-than-average sex, having the kind of open and honest communication that Nick and Tallulah do is really important. Nick is shameless about giving Tallulah all of the experiences she wants, but he is very adamant that they do it in a physically and mentally safe way, which I really appreciated as a reader. I also think the scene where Nick says that he needs aftercare was probably my favorite from the whole book because it can often feel like intimate scenes are so focused on the woman, and they are for the most part in this book, but as Nick reminds us, he's human too. Nick is used to having no-strings-attached sex, but he doesn't want to feel fucked and dumped. Instead of letting it fester and bother him, he says that he needs it, and immediately their relationship dynamic shifts and they begin to trust each other more. I think this scene really spoke to me because of how raw it was. Sex can be emotionless, but there are feelings attached before, during, and after that sometimes get overlooked, especially for men. I think the author did a good job of showing a man's vulnerability in the time immediately after sex, especially because Nick is a more sexually dominant person.

Overall:
3.5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

[Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ | 3.5–4 🌶️

Thank you, Bree Hayden, for the ARC! ❤️

Okay, I think I can officially say it now… THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE SERIES. 🥹❤️

Nick and Tallulah completely won me over. The chemistry between these two is UNBELIEVABLE. It’s almost like an instant connection, but the slow burn gives them the time to really feel each other out, and the payoff? SO worth it. These two are officially my favorite couple of the series so far.
This romance really had everything I want: humor, spice, yearning, genuine emotional depth, character growth, and a love story that actually made my heart feel FULL. 🥹

Tropes:
Best friend’s ex | Spicy bucket list | Yearning & pining
Reformed playboy | He falls first | A man who is DOWN. BAD.
College hockey romance | Slow burn + high heat | Forced proximity
Bad boy x good girl | Good girl gone bad

NICK: Basically: fuckboy-to-obsessed-loverboy. And I will never get tired of that trope.
This man has been down bad for Tallulah forever, but never allowed himself to go there because she was dating his best friend. So he avoided her completely—didn’t talk to her, didn’t look at her, basically removed himself from her orbit. And honestly? I thought it was ridiculously sweet because it says SO much about his character.
Nick has the reputation of being a playboy/fuckboy, and he absolutely earned it. But underneath that is this loyal, caring, attentive man who listens, notices everything, and genuinely wants to take care of Tallulah.
Watching this laid-back playboy turn into a completely lovesick, panicked, hopelessly devoted mess around her was EVERYTHING. 🫠

And Tallulah?! 🥹

She’s the book-smart nerd who doesn’t always feel like she fits in. She’s spent so much time trying to be perfect on paper that she doesn’t always see how much more there is to her.
Because this girl is fun, bold, fierce, funny, fiery, and SO much sassier than I expected. Watching her find her voice and become more confident was one of my favorite parts.

She struggles with anxiety and people-pleasing, and I really appreciated how those struggles were handled with patience and care. Watching her become brave enough to stand up for herself—and especially stand up to that dick-face coach—was EVERYTHING.

And then we have the real star of the book…
RAT TRAP: A cute black cat named Rat! I am a SUCKER for animals in books, and Rat delivered. And Nick being a cat dad?! UHHHHH. 🫠🫠🫠 There is something about an MMC being a cat dad that immediately earns bonus points from me. And Nick being so sweet with Rat? Panty-melting times a million.

And can we talk about the nicknames?!
Tallulah, my girl… you know you love nicknames now. 😂 “Sweetheart” fits her so perfectly because that’s exactly what she is. And then when she finally called Nick “baby”?! OH. YEAH.
Usually, that’s not even my favorite thing, but coming from these two? It was SO damn cute. It just fit them.

These two really brought out the best in each other. Tallulah made Nick a softy sweetie pie, and Nick made Tallulah feel safe enough to be herself. And the puddle Nick became around her?! 😂😭 MY FAVORITE.

Watching confident, laid back Nick turn into a frantic ball of panic because he has BIG FEELINGS and no idea what to do with them was incredible. He was absolutely NOT prepared for Tallulah.

And the dates + bucket lists?! SO damn sweet. I loved how it became about more than just checking things off, it was about them experiencing things together and taking care of each other.

My only real complaint was that I missed seeing more of the Gladiator family. I loved the close knit team dynamic in the earlier books, so I would have loved a few more scenes with everyone together. BUT we did get several moments with Montoya, so I was happy.

I’m also still sad we never got to see Fridge and Nick in the same room after everything that happened. Fridge really took me by surprise, and I was MAD at that man. I wanted his redemption, but we never quite got there…so now I’m over here wondering WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH FRIDGE?!

Overall, this book had me HOOKED. The spice was RED FREAKING HOT 🔥🔥🔥 and Nick and Tallulah completely won me over.
Thank you, Bree Hayden, for the ARC! ❤️

[Justina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s very satisfying to be able to say you loved an ARC. And I did. I absolutely, 100% loved The Wrong Playbook. The yearning, the anxiety rep, the characters, this series is such a good time and this book absolutely deserves 5 stars!

I practically inhaled two previous For the Arena books so I tried to pace myself with this one. I looooooove this universe, these characters, their interactions and internal monologues. I love Bree Hayden’s writing, I will not shut up about it - For the Arena books are fantastic!

the ebook is currently $0.99 on Amazon, do yourself a favor and go pre-order it!

I’m in love with Tallulah and Nick and their relationship. The character growth (and the way they supported each other) was beautiful to witness. All the feels, all the chills. And the spice, as always, is spicyyyy! I will miss them a lot.

***

Nick, the MMC, is a former mega-fvckboy / manwh*re (I know it’s a cliché, but give him a chance). A year ago our fvckboy met a good girl, Tallulah, who completely rendered him speechless and became his singular point of focus and the ultimate dream girl. In a karmic slap in the face Nick’s best friend started to date Tallulah before Nick gathered the courage to approach her, so Nick was left with no choice but to quietly (and celibate-ly) yearn from afar.

It’s essentially a fvckboy to an obsessed loverboy trope. We don’t experience Nick’s fvckboy phase in this book, we get to witness the next step of his journey. Tallulah becomes single, so Nick, our obsessed lover boy, decides to go for it, now or never. He’s all in, jumping head first. But how do you approach your best friend’s ex / your secret mega-crush? Well, it’s best when you both leave the country for the summer, not-so-coincidentally landing in the same city in Canada. YUM!

Tallulah, our „good girl” FMC, is wonderfully smart, brave and kind. She struggles with anxiety and people-pleasing, and her struggles are described and worked through with patience and care. I loved the thoughtfulness of the Author, it was wonderful to watch Tallulah open up to Nick and him unwaveringly supporting her (especially since he so desperately wanted to be there for her for so long already). Nick appreciated all parts of Tallulah, her anxiety was just one of them.

It was also amazing to see casual and laid back Nick become frantic ball of panic because he was overwhelmed by his own feelings for our FMC, he was not prepared to handle them. Tallulah was so lovely to Nick, she was careful and intentional and adoring, ahh what a book! They both needed to grow to find their way through the huddles, and they did it together enthusiastically. It was amazing to witness such soft, wonderful love.

I loved Zariah and Denali’s book, now I don’t know which one is my favorite. OH NO, I guess I need to reread them both, soon. What can you do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Fav quotes:

“Nick,” Tallulah interjected.
“No.”
“Nick.”
“No.”
Her eyes settled on mine, the softest, deepest, warmest brown. “Nick.”
“Yes,” I said without thinking. Wait, why did I say that? “I mean no. Maybe.”

With a sigh, I pushed myself to stand up. “Anxiety fucking sucks.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry⁠—”
“No, anxiety sucks, because it makes you think that you’re to blame. With everything. With anything. That you’re inconveniencing people. That you can’t be happy and take that happiness. Your anxiety convinces you that you don’t deserve it. But this is the truth—” I cut the distance between us, taking her chin between my fingers, making sure she understood every word. “Being with you is a goddamn gift.”

I have a—uh—cat.”
Her mom frowned. “You have a pet?”
“She has two,” I joked, holding out my hand. “Hey, I’m her boyfriend.”


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


I received this book as a free ARC from the Author. My opinion is sincere (and enthusiastic!), I purchased the ebook for myself regardless of having the free ARC copy as I’m in love with this series and I love Bree Hayden’s For the Arena books. <3

I’m so thankful for the opportunity to read this one early.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Montoya’s book is next. Something’s up with those post-its…

[Franky · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

(+) :
- Fundamentally, I liked the chemistry between these two. I got why and how their opposites-attract of it all works. Nick is obviously messy and sloppy where as Tallulah is governed by her anxiety and navigating her journey to self-confidence. It worked and I rooted for them.
- I think a book that does dual-POV in first person and makes the two POVs read very tonally dissonant and obviously in one character’s head versus the other should be celebrated. I never questioned which character’s POV I was in or who’s voice I was hearing in my own because it was so clear from the style of the writing whether the thoughts were Tallulah’s or Nick’s.
- Nick’s relationship with Montoya is really sweet. I haven’t read any of the other books, but Montoya was quite possibly my favorite character. I love that he becomes such a meaningful friend to Nick and his character arc.
- The funniest part of this book was when Nick texts the group chat and they all respond with “lol”. I audibly giggled.
- I like the cover. It does look a little YA, which, yeah, these characters are 20 and 21 so it’s not far off, but it’s very much not a YA book. New Adult, sure, maybe, though I would hazard the way Nick talks is a bit too mature sometimes for how long he’s existed as sexually active adults, but still. I do think I like the green cover better (which I saw on Storygraph and I like what it means for the story).
- Title is fine. It works.

(-) :
- This book is just far too long. I don’t think I would have as much of a problem with it if not for the fact that these characters talk in circles a *lot*. The amount of times they repeat something the other character said the page before (ie., when Nick says his parents divorced and then the next page Tallulah asked if they’re still together or the back and forth about Max and the party) is just infuriating.
- Early on in the book, Montoya has to tell Nick what Tallulah likes but then we’re supposed to believe when he finds the duffel bag that Fridge gave her with all the wrong stuff for her that he just automatically knows she didn’t like them? I think that having Montoya be his sounding board was a great choice as mentioned above, but that aspect felt odd. He should have just been a confidante.
- Tallulah’s relationship with her parents is bananas. Why do they know she doesn’t like casual sex? Why are they so wrapped up in their own relationship with her *ex-boyfriend*? They read like they were younger than their own daughter.
- This may be an odd comment, but for how much these two bone, we never actually get any physical descriptions of what these two look like stripped down. That’s not, like, a deal breaker, but it’s just kind of weird.


WILL I READ THE NEXT ONE? : I had fun with this so if I’m in a college sports romance mood I think so.

(HOW LONG) DO I THINK THEY’LL STAY TOGETHER? : Here’s the thing - I know there’s an epilogue that details them in for the long haul obviously, but like…I do have a little bit of trouble believing that these two 20-year-olds are endgame. I think there is growth they both need to do for themselves that we, of course, don’t see on the page, but also…seems like it would maybe get in the way of this relationship.

*Thank you to Victory Editing & Netgalley for providing this ARC!


SIMILAR BOOKS :
- 'Unloved' by Peyton Corinne
- 'Blind Side' by Kandi Steiner
- 'The Roommate' by Rosie Danan

[Carly Abels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick and Tallulah’s romance was so much fun to read!

Tallulah is the good girl. She’s intelligent, has anxiety, and has always felt like she has something to prove, especially to herself. She’s had a “spicy bucket list” for a while, and when she gets the opportunity to take an internship in Canada, she becomes determined to complete it while she’s there. For Tallulah, Canada is a chance to come out of her shell and prove to herself that she can be more adventurous than the good girl everyone expects her to be. I really enjoyed watching her navigate wanting to experience more while still dealing with the anxiety that can make stepping outside of her comfort zone difficult.

And then there’s Nick. Nick is a reformed playboy who has been pining for Tallulah since the moment he laid eyes on her. The problem is … she was his best friend’s girlfriend. After they break up, Nick finally gets his chance to pursue her. So what does he do? He books a flight to Canada to play on a beer league team near Tallulah’s internship, and she has absolutely no idea he’s coming (creepy and cute!)

Of course, there are some cons to Nick choosing this particular league, but I won’t get into those because I don’t want to spoil anything. His decision to follow Tallulah to Canada sets the stage for a fun and slightly messy summer romance.

What starts out as a fun summer fling slowly turns into a beautiful love story. Their story is a little messy, but they are so down bad for each other, and they are 100% better together. They bring out the best in each other while still giving one another room to grow. I loved that they learned how to handle the complicated parts of life together rather than letting those things pull them apart.

Nick is persistent, knows what he wants, and he wants Tallulah. After pining for her for so long, he doesn’t hold back when he finally gets his chance. I loved how he made her feel comfortable and reassured her, while also encouraging her to open up, push herself, and discover what she was capable of.

Tallulah also brings out a different side of Nick. She gets him to open up about the harder things in his life and is an incredibly loyal partner, especially when it comes to the painful truths Nick has been carrying. I really enjoyed watching them become more vulnerable with each other and learn how to be there for each other through the harder parts of their lives.

And then there is Rat Trap, their adorable cat. He brings so much comfort to both of them and became one of my favorite little parts of the story. As someone who deals with anxiety, I completely understand how a snuggly cat can become that little crux you hold onto when things feel overwhelming. Rat Trap was such a sweet source of comfort for both of them.

Their summer romance was a beautiful read, and I enjoyed every spicy moment. I loved the combination of romance, humor, and the tougher realities that a young couple can face. Their relationship wasn’t perfect or without complications, but that made it feel more genuine.

Overall, I really enjoyed Nick and Tallulah’s story. I loved watching Tallulah push herself outside of her comfort zone and Nick finally get the chance to love the woman he had been pining for. These two were absolutely down bad for each other, and I was here for every spicy, messy, adorable moment.

Thank you to Bree Hayden for the opportunity to read this love story as an ARC. I really enjoyed Nick and Tallulah’s story and am so happy I got to experience their summer romance early.

[Michelle Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wrong Playbook by Bree Hayden is the 3rd in the "For the Arena" college hockey romance series. When I first received this book from the author, I was a little nervous because I did not read the previous two and thought I would would be smack dab in the middle of this college hockey universe and have no idea what was going on. Once I started reading it though, I realized I had nothing to worry about. Bree Hayden did a wonderful job of focusing on her main characters, Tallulah and Nick, while seamlessly integrating the important facts about the supporting characters and place within the main story. I felt that this allowed Tallulah and Nick's story to really develop and shine while still being connected to the Marrs University universe.
Nick and Tallulah's story is one of waiting for the right time and the right place for your love story to take root and flourish. Nick has had a secrete crush on Tallulah since the first day he saw her, but he felt too insecure to act on it. By waiting too long, Nick's best friend and room mate, Fridge, ends up dating Tallulah for the better part of a school year. When they break up, Nick still is too shy to ask her out because he is afraid that his former playboy reputation will cause her to say no. So, he feels that he needs to get Tallulah alone so she can discover the true Nick, and he has the perfect plan: Tag along with her to Toronto on her journalism internship covering the Olympics, but do it under the guise of playing summer league for a 3rd rate Toronto hockey team owned by the most abusive coach he has ever played for.
Yes, the plan sounds far fetched, but the author makes it work beautifully! Bree Hayden crafts a beautiful story where both Nick and Tallulah discover more about themselves than what everybody thinks they are, and they both come out knowing themselves and each other better as people and lovers. Are there little lies in the beginning, yes. Are there fights and arguments along the way, yes. Is there great spicy scenes along the way, defiantly, YES! But the author weaves all the love, drama, and bumps in the road in such a way that you are rooting for them to work out to be a successful loving couple who truly supports each other.
My one complaint is that I did feel the story was a little long in some parts. I felt that chapters dealing with Nick and Tallulah plotting to take down the evil coach, Tomassini, dragged on for a few chapters more than it should. I didn't think it truly added any more suspense or drama to the story, or made me feel any different about the the bond Nick and Tallulah had or made me see them as different people by that time in the book. I felt I just skimmed through those chapters so I could get back to Nick and Tallulah story and the spicy scenes.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and felt that Bree Hayden has created a pair of friends/lovers that were interesting in how they helped each other find their true selves and their true loves.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounding up 3

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the book.

Let's start off with the things I loved:
- interracial couple where both MCs are BIPOC (she's Native and he's Brazilian and Japanese)
- spicy bucket list (TMI I didn't think the list was super freaky as I would also want to check off the items, but it is more spicy than bucket lists I've seen in other books)
- Tallulah and Nick's relationship
- Rat Trap ofc

I don't have much experience with anxiety. The author wrote the characters in a way where not only to we get to see what it's like to have anxiety (Tallulah), but also what it's like to care for/be in relationship with someone who has anxiety (Nick). I loved how caring and supporting Nick is with Tallulah, not only with her anxiety, but also with her journalism and spicy bucket list. For me, there's a lot of trust when having sex and I was glad Nick was able to provide that security for Tallulah. Tallulah also got to understand Nick better and be a comforting presence. She even pushed his out of his comfort zone with books and went the extra mile to find books that he would like. I loved when Nick found the bag Fridge had packed for Tallulah. Not only was he able to say what was wrong with each item, he knew what she would have preferred instead. I thought the following scene between Nick and his mom was so sweet:

"What if I tell Tallulah I love her for real and she doesn’t love me and it was all for nothing?”
“Does she make you happy?”
“Yes,” I managed.
“Does she make your life better?”
“Yes.”
“Then you spent your time loving someone who made you happy and made your life better. It wasn’t a waste. Loving is never a waste.” Her voice softened. “Nicholas, not everybody is meant to be in your life forever. Sometimes, they are flashes of light and all you can do is appreciate them for giving you something beautiful.”

Now to the things I didn't like:
The beginning was intriguing right away, but some parts in the middle lulled. It's a bit on the longer side (~400 pages) and at times it did feel like it dragged on. I thought there was a disconnect between the last chapter (Nick and Tallulah are barely back in Houston and she recently got a job offer from The Oklahoma Record) and the epilogue. The epilogue majorly condensed the rest of their lives from career advancements for the both of them and celebrating Mother's Day with their two kids.

I thought some of the punctation like the overuse of interrobangs and all caps made the book come off as too casual and even a bit juvenile.

[Aniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Bree Hayden and I’m glad I was granted the opportunity to read it as an ARC. The Wrong Playbook is about Tallulah, a journalism major, and Nick, a college hockey player.

Nick has been in lust/love with Tallulah ever since she started dating his room/teammate. He’s even changed his whole approach to dating for her, going from - essentially - shagging everyone to completely celibate. He follows Tallulah to Canada when she signs up for an internship connected to the Olympics there, managing to join a beer league hockey team there even though he’s much better than the team. There, he manages to convince Tallulah to sleep with and later date him, as she’s broken up with her boyfriend. Her spicy bucket list also helps him, and leads to some really hot scenes!

I really liked the lighthearted way in which this book is written. The book covers a lot of different events and switches POVs, both of which work well - it shows that they both have lives outside their relationship and keeps the pace up.

That said, both the internship and the owner of Nick’s hockey team are weird. The internship is full of super competitive interns who only care about winning, and the hockey team’s owner is plain nasty and has it in for Nick. It takes quite a while for all this to crystallise - presumably we the readers are finding out what’s going on while the characters are too - which left me with A LOT of questions through most of the book.

Tallulah suffers from extreme anxiety, which I didn’t realise at first. It annoyed me because I didn’t understand where it was coming from, until the story (thankfully) points it out. The author clearly dedicated a lot of time and effort to building this in accurately, and it comes across as realistic.

Nick, in turn, is terrible at communicating and deflects everything that becomes too personal, which inevitably leads to information being hidden and misunderstandings until quite late in the book. Sometimes I just wanted to whack him upside the head! Although the spice scenes were hot, I found it curious how Nick was able to sleep around so easily before he met Tallulah as he doesn’t come across as super suave - it almost seemed like he had two personalities.

Speaking of personalities, kudos to the author for really working on each character’s personality and writing them in different ways: they all come across as individuals with their own traits. Super impressive!

Overall I enjoyed this book, even though it took me some time to figure it out. Thank you to Bree Hayden for the ARC!

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wrong Playbook by Bree Hayden

4/5⭐️

Surprisingly, I liked this book. At first I was hesitant; I didn’t like the main concept of Nick, our MMC, being madly in love with Tallulah when he had never spoken to her. He decided to put himself in bad situations and make drastic choices not only for a girl he had never spoken to but for his “best friend’s” ex. I’ll be straight up: I hated that concept. I do wish he had another motive to go to the Olympics so it wasn’t as weird and creepy as following a virtual stranger across the country.

Moving on from that, it was such a small aspect of the book and the only thing I disliked about it. This book reminded me of Deep End, but better. I loved the characterization and choices made about the personality of our love interests. Normally I hate a pitiful character, and unfortunately, Tallulah looked as if she was falling into that. Except she wasn’t; she had this crippling anxiety about everything, AND she was still able to do hard things. Even though she got anxiety from confrontation, she still did it, just dealt with the side effects afterwards. I loved that so much because I related to it so much; out of every character I've ever read, Tallulah is the closest I've related to as a fictional character. Everything she did because of her anxiety, I had also done; all of her symptoms, the way she acted and presented herself to others, were comforting because I've had virtually the same experience. This was genuinely the best representation of anxiety that I've ever read. So huge props to the author!

Furthermore, I loved the MMC, the love interest, and their relationship. I loved the way they fought and had issues. This book has small themes of miscommunication, which normally I despise; but in this book it was done very well. I didn’t feel like it was overdone or dragged out, AND there wasn’t a 3rd act breakup that ruined everything! I'm genuinely giving it another .5⭐️ just for the fact that there wasn’t a 3rd act breakup. I hate when romances do that; in this story, it just kept growing and expanding, and there wasn’t major backpedaling.

I started this book a little hesitant as I picked out a random eArc off of NetGalley to read (thank you for the eArc; sorry for the late-ish review), and I ended up finding a really good book. I’m really hoping to read more books from this author, especially ones where she includes more anxiety representation cuz it was super comforting to read about!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wrong Playbook is the third book in Bree Hayden's For the Arena series, but I can confidently say it works perfectly as a standalone. At no point did I feel like I was missing important backstory or inside jokes from the previous books. Everything I needed to enjoy the story was right there on the page.

The standout of this book for me was, without question, Nick. He completely stole my heart. His unwavering devotion to Tallulah and the lengths he was willing to go just to be near her were everything I love in a romance. Watching him quietly put himself through situations he didn't necessarily want, simply because it meant being close to the woman he loved, made him such an easy character to root for.

Tallulah is a college student who lands an incredible internship in Canada during the Olympics, where she'll have the opportunity to compete to write a feature on a legendary hockey player turned coach. While this should be the opportunity of a lifetime, she also struggles with severe anxiety, making every new experience feel overwhelming.

Then there's Nick, the campus playboy who has unexpectedly spent the last year celibate. He heads to Canada to play for a hockey team under a coach he can't stand, but not because of hockey. He takes the opportunity solely because it allows him to be close to Tallulah. That reveal made me love him even more.

When Nick discovers Tallulah has a spicy bucket list of experiences she'd like to cross off, he offers to help her check off every item, despite knowing it could very well end with his heart being broken. Their relationship develops through plenty of chemistry, vulnerability, and emotional growth as they both work through their own anxieties and learn that honest communication might be the only way they'll ever have a real chance together.

One thing I especially appreciated was the representation of anxiety. While both characters experience it differently, their struggles felt like an important part of who they were without completely defining them.

Overall, this was another fun, emotional, and spicy hockey romance filled with pining, devotion, chemistry, and two characters learning to navigate their fears together. If you're looking for a college hockey romance with a hero who falls hard, anxiety representation, and a relationship built on patience and support (with plenty of steam along the way), I definitely recommend giving this one a try.