Fair Game

The Rules of the Rink #1

by Ruth Stilling, Raven Hawkins (Narrator), Tristan Josiah (Narrator)

Getting drafted to a losing team was bad enough. Falling for her could end me . . .

I'm supposed to be the NHL's next poster boy. Not the guy the draft screws over. Or the headline waiting to happen. And definitely not the new face of the Seattle Rogues—the league's latest expansion team, who loses on repeat.

But here I am. Just like my Hall of Famer dad, I've got the talent, looks, and dedication. . . but keeping my mouth shut is proving to be a problem. Even worse, my new team has assigned a publicist to keep watch over me.

Then I discover the woman assigned to represent me is Drew Callaghan—aka my coach's daughter. I guess if they're making me have a publicist, it makes sense for it to be her—we've been family friends for years, and even if my cocky attitude drives her crazy, I know our friendship will translate well to the workplace.

But my overconfidence has never been the issue. It's the way Drew disarms me whenever I see her in a suit while she lays out a bunch of rules for me to curate the perfect public profile.

There can be zero distractions. No scandals. And no temptations. While she may be meticulous in her job, Drew misses one important don't fall for your coach's daughter. I'm about to break every rule in the book . . . along with the fraternization clause in our contracts. I'm going to make Drew Callaghan mine.

Contains mature themes.

Genres: Hockey, Romance, Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Hockey Romance, Audiobook, Forced Proximity

Audible Audio

Published June 30, 2026

About the author

Ruth Stilling is a lover of all things escapism and can be mostly found with her head buried in a spicy book, writing her latest romance novel or out in the open air and nature, away from the bustle of life. As clumsy as she is crazy, Ruth enjoys creating relatable, loveable, swoon-worthy and strong willed main characters who find their happy ending. That said, she prides herself on taking her readers on emotional rollercoasters and always recommends reading her books with tissues on hand to wipe away the tears of joy, laughter and sometimes heartache.

Ruth lives in Derbyshire, England with her own personal book boyfriend (lucky girl), her six year old son and her two feisty chihuahuas.

Keep up to date with Ruth's latest content and exciting projects by following her on social media: @authorruthstilling

Reviews

[ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★½ i had a really good time with this one. Drew and JJ were fun together, the banter was great, and i absolutely flew through it. the only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me was because it leaned a little too hard into insta lust at the beginning, which isn’t usually my favorite. once the relationship started developing beyond that though, i was completely invested. such a fun, easy sports romance.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

✩ 2.5 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Hockey Player x Publicist
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Reformed Playboy
➼ He Falls First & Hard
➼ Coach’s Daughter
➼ Second Gen
➼ Frenemies-to-Lovers
➼ Hockey Romance
➼ Narrated by Raven Hawkins & Tristan Josiah
➼ First Person POV

I struggled a little with this one. I wish we could have seen them communicate and connect on a deeper level throughout the book. As is, I didn’t really feel like they had a connection beyond the physical. Yes, they had known each other for a long time, but it still felt like a surface level connection to me. Maybe if they had both been carrying a torch for each other I might have felt differently, but as is, his interest in her felt very abrupt. He went from friends to jealous all because someone else was dancing with her and then I was supposed to believe he was all in for her without much evidence to support that. This was written in dual first person POV and even his thoughts didn’t convince me that he had a real interest in her as a person.

I’m not sure why she caved so quickly considering his reputation and the possible ramifications for her career. He hadn’t done anything up to that point to convince me as a reader that he was serious, so I’m not sure why she would have believed he was. I think it would have felt more true to her character if this had been more of a slow burn and they had been caught in a compromising position when she finally gave in. I did like that there wasn’t really a third act breakup and he did make strides towards convincing me he would put her first at the very end. I just wish we could have seen more of that side of him earlier on.

This was an entertaining read, but unfortunately they weren’t my favorite couple.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of the ALC.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: I was blessed by NetGalley with the ALC 🙌🏻

I won’t pretend I’m not chasing the Off Campus high! Hope it’s good! 🤞🏻

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Connect with me on Instagram ✩ Tiktok

[kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for providing me with an ALC of this book for a voluntary and honest review of this book.

unfortunately this one reallyyy missed the mark for me - considering this is an adult book it read incredibly juvenile and honestly cringey...

i usually love a good reformed brand risk/playboy redemption but it felt like we didn't entirely get one in this book which was a little frustrating. i couldnt get behind how fast these characters gave into wanting each other despite how often they both discussed and thought about the consequences it would have on (mainly our fmc) careers - it was giving 'i know this could and probably will ruin your professional life in this field of work forever but i also dont really care' which i couldnt vibe with

i did enjoy the narration though - it definitely helped me stay engaged enough to finish the book! id like to check out more of the narrators work in the future!

[Kayla | Kayla Reads Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read every single one of Ruth's books in her connected universe. And the one book that continues to be a top read for me is Dead Ringer and that has everything to Jensen Jones (JJ). I love that man so much, so can you imagine my excitement when Ruth announced that we were getting a second gen and she was giving me JENSEN JONES'S SON?!?!?!?! And let me tell you something, LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON!

The reason that I loved JJ so much was for his obsession with Kate. The fact that he was such a rottweiler. Like that man was so fiercely protective of her. He allowed her to be the strong independent woman that she was while also creating a safe space to allow herself to put down her walls and take on some of her burdens. And Will Jones, is his father. But he is also his mother's son as well. He's stubborn and driven. He's all Jones baby and what a perfect combination of his parents he is! So yeah not only did I love his daddy with my whole heart but I love William too boo boo! In fact, I also really loved Drew. She is another second gen kid and it was so nice to see two characters have the best qualities from their parents.

Now let's talk about this book as a whole.... I freaking loved it! As someone who reads a lot of hockey romance, sometimes the stories can blend together with the same tropes and plot lines. And the one thing I love about Ruth, it's how she takes a plot and trope that it done frequently and puts a new spin to it. For example, this is coach's daughter, which is a slightly forbidden trope but you add that she's his publicist because he has playboy image that needs to be cleaned up, it adds another layer to it which is always fun.

I don't know you guys, I just really loved this one. I devoured it. It was such a quick read. I was really invested in Drew and Will's relationship. It was equal parts plot, spice and swoon worthy moments! Ruth! I'm so excited for this new group of boys and see where you take this series!

You should read this book if you like:
- Hockey Romance
- Secret Hook Ups
- Forbidden
- She's His Publicist
- Workplace Romance
- Coach's Daughter
- Close Proximity
- Reformed Playboy

* I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Ruth Stilling for allowing me the absolute pleasure to read Fair Game as an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts, opinions and review.

[Sim-fully Ever After · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🌟, 3🌶️

My heart is so full after jumping back into this world with the next generation of Scorpions.

Seeing Will Jones finally get his story felt like such a treat as a longtime fan. He has all of his dad’s fiercely protective rottweiler energy, balanced by the same fiery spark that made his mom unforgettable. There is a wonderful sense of nostalgia here, but the story still feels fresh and exciting.

The chemistry between Will and Drew is instant and impossible to ignore. Their history as family friends adds so much depth, making their shift from playful bickering to something more feel natural and believable. Will starts out as a cocky playboy in need of an image makeover, but watching him become completely devoted to Drew was incredibly satisfying. Their relationship strikes the perfect balance of sweet moments and sizzling tension.

I honestly flew through this book in one sitting because I just could not put it down. Ruth delivers everything I love about hockey romance while giving it plenty of heart and emotion. It was so much fun watching these two figure out their feelings while navigating the pressures of the sport.

This was the perfect start to a new era and I am completely obsessed.

~~~~

Huge thank you to Ruth Stilling & Hambright PR for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨

[Liz | Bookslizreads90 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this audio! The narrators did a great job bringing the story to life! I finished it in one sitting. You get childhood friends who share fun banter. He's the hockey bad boy, and she's assigned to do his PR. Oh, and she's his coach's daughter 🤭. After working with eachother for a while and sharing proximity, they decide to give into their feelings and share some secret hookups. He ends up falling fast!! I mean, what else can you ask for?? 😍 Definitely recommend if you love a Reformed playboy!!

[Meg.RecsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio / 4.5* / NetGalley

Updating my thoughts on the audio. I really enjoyed Raven Hawkins and Tristan Josiah's work with this one. It drove the story home and if anything, improved it.

A massive thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this book in advance of it's release.

Digital / 4.5* / Hambright

Can I tell you a secret?
I think I found a new favourite author!
Oh my goodness, this was such a great read.
Seeing that this is a “next generation”, I need to go read the backlist ASAP

The story took me a bit to get into, maybe I wasn’t as invested as fans of the previous work … but once I got into it I was flying through the pages. I absolutely loved Ruth Stilling’s writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed Drew and Will! The insta love felt a little off, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I love me some spicy hockey. Childhood friends to lovers is quickly becoming a favourite of mine!

Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review, it is always an honour!

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a plethora of books featuring a male character as a reformed playboy. It's not my favorite character trait. However, Will was never reformed; he never quite redeemed himself in my eyes.
Will might as well have been made up of red flags. He was ill-tempered and spontaneous and posted everything on social media; the most inane things. Hence the need for his lifelong family friend, Drew, who works as a publicist. It seemed that his interest in Drew only began because he couldn't have her now that she was his publicist. Then she was forbidding a relationship and his feelings became even stronger. He was a cliche in the worst possible way.

Drew let Will off the hook for everything and that irritated me quite a bit.

Also, it was weird how young they were. Drew was only just turning 21 and had a career as a publicist already. I just found it odd.

Lastly, I'm not sure what was behind the choice of dropping the h in Pittsburgh, but it made my eye twitch every time I saw it written in this book.

[_goldenchapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for the ARC.

I’m a sucker for a sports romance, and this one definitely had me intrigued from the start. The beginning was strong, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between Drew and Will. Will’s cocky, carefree attitude paired well against Drew’s rule following personality.

That said, I do think I was hoping for a bit more depth from both characters. While they grew up together, I didn’t fully feel the emotional connection I was expecting as their relationship developed. Things between them also started moving pretty quickly, and I would have loved more time spent on their transition from friends to lovers.

With that, I did enjoy the read overall. I also think it does a nice job setting things up for what comes next. I’m definitely curious to see how everything continues to unfold in the next book.

[Angelica · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 57% - so cringe. I couldn’t take it anymore.

[JewelsyGoolsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @25%
MMC and storyline not doing it for me.

[Angela Y (yangelareads) ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Tantor Media.

Getting drafted to a losing team was bad enough. Falling for her could end me.

I am supposed to be the NHL's next poster boy. Not the guy the draft screws over. Or the headline waiting to happen. And definitely not the new face of the Seattle Rogues—the league's latest expansion team, who loses on repeat.

But here I am. Just like my Hall of Famer dad, I have got the talent, looks, and dedication but keeping my mouth shut is proving to be a problem. Even worse, my new team has assigned a publicist to keep watch over me.

Then I discover the woman assigned to represent me is Drew Callaghan—aka my coach's daughter. I guess if they are making me have a publicist, it makes sense for it to be her—we have been family friends for years, and even if my cocky attitude drives her crazy, I know our friendship will translate well to the workplace.

But my overconfidence has never been the issue. It is the way Drew disarms me whenever I see her in a suit while she lays out a bunch of rules for me to curate the perfect public profile.

There can be zero distractions. No scandals. And no temptations. While she may be meticulous in her job, Drew misses one important do not fall for your coach's daughter. I am about to break every rule in the book along with the fraternization clause in our contracts. I am going to make Drew Callaghan mine.

Fair Game was a slow burn, but unfortunately, it was far too slow for my taste. The story also felt like it was trying to include too many familiar romance tropes at once. It leaned heavily into insta-love, with Drew and Will’s attraction escalating almost immediately, which left very little room for emotional development. I wish we had seen them communicate more and build a deeper connection throughout the book. Although they had known each other for years, their relationship still felt very surface-level to me. Both characters lacked depth, and some of their decisions came across as childish and directionless, making it difficult for me to fully invest in their romance.

I was also disappointed by the lack of hockey. For a hockey romance, there was surprisingly little of the sport included. The draft results played a major role in the prologue, but after that, hockey was barely mentioned. On a positive note, this book is clearly setting up a series of interconnected standalones, which is always a bonus for me. I am curious to see where the series goes next. I also wonder whether I might have enjoyed the story more if I had read the book instead of listening to the audiobook.

Rating: 2.5/5

[Janie Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair Game - Ruth Stilling
ARC Review
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 ⭐

Drew and Will are everything I want in the main characters of a love story. I had so much fun reading this one and absolutely loved their banter and Will’s cocky, overly confident attitude.

I will say the first half felt a bit slower compared to her other books, and the transition from friends to lovers happened a little too randomly for me. One minute he doesn’t really seem into her, and the next he’s fully in love. I didn’t totally buy into the romance at first because of that.

BUT after the halfway point? Solid 5 star territory. I fully believed in their relationship after that, and I became completely obsessed with them together. So if insta-love or fast feelings aren’t usually your thing, keep reading because it genuinely gets so much better. The part that felt rushed was small in the grand scheme of the story.

Even before I believed them as a couple, I already loved both characters individually. Their chemistry (as friends at first), their interactions, and especially Will’s ridiculous confidence had me laughing out loud constantly. The text threads were one of my favorite parts too.

And SILAS 👀 I am beyond excited for his story next. Him and Vesper had me so intrigued, and after the teasing in this book I’m officially praying for some top tier hate sex energy in their book 😂

Thank you to the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review 🩷

[Apryl (inmybookishgirlera) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I devoured this book! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! Hockey romance is starting to become a favorite right up there with my cowboys! This was my first Ruth Stilling book and it did not disappoint.

I loved this story so much! I loved how she put a fun twist on the forbidden trope. It’s a coach’s daughter, but she’s also his publicist trying to clean up his playboy image so that was just so much fun! Her writing was super fast paced I flew through it. It was the perfect amount of plot, swoon, and spice. I loved Drew and Will’s relationship I was so invested. I just loved them so much! The banter was really good too. And I’m always a sucker for group chats!

I’m a Ruth Stilling fan and now need to read the other series and the rest of her books! This releases on 5/8 add it to your tbr immediately! Soooo good! Thank you to hambright pr for this advanced copy!


5⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Hockey romance
Coach’s daughter
Forbidden
Workplace
Forced proximity
Secret hooks ups
Reformed playboy

[costitanza (onetoomanybooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childhood friends → working together → lovers? That's a combination that's always hard for me to resist.

Fair Game was a fun read, even if I wasn't completely sold on the way the MMC slipped into full-on alpha male mode the moment he realized he had feelings for the FMC. It's a dynamic I don't always enjoy, but thankfully it didn't overshadow the rest of the story.

The chemistry between the characters was entertaining from the start, and the romance only got hotter as the story progressed. He's the classic hot-shot rookie with a reputation as a womanizer, while she's his childhood friend who's tasked with repairing his public image. It was pretty obvious where things were headed, but that didn't make the journey any less enjoyable.

I do think I would have rated this a little higher if I'd read the book instead of listening to the audiobook. The narrators had pleasant voices, but the way they delivered the dialogue often felt a bit unnatural to me. On top of that, the audio mixing seemed off at times—it almost sounded like they were standing too far away from the microphone while recording, which made it harder for me to fully immerse myself in the story.

Overall, I had a good time with Fair Game. It was fun, sexy, and delivered exactly what I expected from a childhood friends-to-lovers sports romance, even if a few elements kept it from being a favorite.

[Amanda Hopwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um no

[Charlotte Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main characters in this book have known each other their whole lives, yet somehow, this relationship gave insta-lust. It seemed like as soon as we tuned in, they were absolutely desperate to get in each other pants. The young age of the characters really came through in immature actions and careless mistakes.

The narration of the audiobook did not add to the reading experience for me here, and ultimately, it was a miss overall.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review 💕

[Nay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha Read - March

Cannot wait for Will to make his mark. Full review to come

[Thorunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth, Ruth, Ruth. You naughty girl you. You're trying to replace JJ with another Jones. Tsk tsk. Like... in what world could JJ be de-throned? ... Well, I guess in this world you could argue that he could.

Let me back up.

For those who aren't in the know, who don't have the slightest clue what I'm actually talking about - you see, Ruth's first series had a MC by the name of JJ and he was - is - .... everything. That man made me swoon like no man has before. Ruth is aware of this, she's aware of the impact of that book - may I add, one of her first books. Alright, so with that said, Ruth has since that book finished that first series and has also written a second series. And the little minx she is, with every book she's tried to best JJ - no small feat, mind you. And I'll admit, in some ways she has accomplished this - but like in a parallel way.

Alright, so I say all that so I can say this: "Fair Game" is not only the first book in Ruth's third series BUT the MC is also JJ's son!!! So to say he's got some of his dad's tendencies... ehem... just give me a minute to collect myself while my mind and body flash back to the book.... oh-hum. What a ride.

So this book is all about Will Jones... like, words can't even begin to describe this man. This cocky and infuraring man... like, for the first - idk - maybe almost 20% of this book he's so cocky. Infuriatingly so. I even DM'd Ruth and told her that I didn't know if I truly liked him (because I personally can't stand people who are just so arrogant and beyond cocky - it gets to be beyond annoying. This is totally a me thing and just preferences for people's personalities. Full disclosure here). She told me to wait, to just give him a chance - that he was his father's son. Ohhhhh that he is! Because DAYUM!!!

HOT DAYUM!!!!

And you know what? I'm just going to leave this review like that: by saying DAYUM. Because Will Jones is HOT DAYUM. When Ruth flips the script ... you better have your 5 point seatbelt on because you'll need it.

And can I just say one more thing about this? The way Will orders Drew wine... just flip me over and call me done. Is it not every woman's dream come true to have her man order her wine like Will does? I didn't even realize that I was missing this from my life!!!!! And did I not talk with Ruth about this, asking her to send my husband notes on how to do this like Will? I may just have asked her to do that. ... OMG you guys! Gah!!! Will, you are something else. Just... hot dayum.

Can I also add that the way Ruth has teased at least TWO if not three upcoming books in this series has me losing my mind right now! She needs to just put her whole life on hold to write the next few books because the wait might undo me.

Lemme also say it one more time: Will - HOT DAYUM!

[Cokiereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Gen!!! What do I love more? A hockey romance or the start of a second generation series? Why not have both?!

Seattle has a new team. One thats part of an expansion and one that... lets just say they aren't great right now. And guess who's been signed on? Our MMC, Will Jensen. Son of a legend NHL player, constantly online, and a playboy. One who hasn't kept it a secret about how he feels about being on this team.

Our FMC? Drew Callaghan. Coach's daughter and a hot shot at the PR firm she works at. Who's now in charge of rehabbing Will's image. Will, who she grew up with. Who gets on her nerves but now...

Now nothing can happen between the two of them. Will is Drew's biggest client to date. She already has a coworker out to get her. And her dad? He's got Will pegged.

Its always just a little bit better when its forbidden. Will might have known Drew for years but he didnt see himself falling for her. I love a good sneak up. And sneaking around...

How long could any of this last anyway? And is it real?

Eeeee, I already love this team. Give me more!!!!

[Emz sirenreadssmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Stilling does it again!! What an amazing read !! One thing about Ruth Stilling is that she delivers books that bring plot, characters with deep relatable personalities, delicious spice , found family, and real life relatable events!!

With that being said let’s get into this book. You have Drew , the work hard , go getter , gorgeous FMC who is longtime childhood frenemies with Will. Will is the dashing, cocky as hell , Mr. Know it all, and shoot first ask questions later hockey player.

Drew works at a PR company and her first huge client is , you guessed it, childhood frenemy Will. Her job is now to tone down Mr. Know it alls social media outbursts & real life social events.

But with Will not being happy with the team he landed & his quick realization that he is extremely attracted to Drew… Will she be able to successfully do her job without everything blowing up in their face when Will won’t give up on her or give in to the new team he is on?

Ahhhhh this book was absolutely delicious !! 10/10 will be reading again!!

[BookishKB]

🏒❤️ Fair Game ❤️🏒

Full ARC Review to come!

✨ What to Expect
• Hockey Romance
• Coach's Daughter
• Friends to Lovers
• Workplace Romance
• Forced Proximity
• Forbidden Romance
• Dual Narration
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.

[K (dedicationdiaries) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Ruth Stilling book and apparently I’ve found a new author to obsess over.

Will is the kind of chaotic playboy MMC who thinks he can charm his way through anything… until he really ‘sees’ his long term family friend Drew and suddenly this man is down catastrophically. And honestly? Watching him realise he’s obsessed with her was incredibly entertaining.

Drew doesn’t make it easy for him either, which made the chase even better. She keeps him on his toes the entire time while he’s out here fighting for his life over one woman who refuses to fold immediately. As he should.

Their chemistry was so fun, the friends-to-lovers tension hit perfectly, and the fact there was NO third act breakup? Ruth Stilling, thank you for your service. Sometimes I just want to watch two people fall in love without unnecessary emotional warfare.

Cute, funny, spicy, and dangerously easy to binge. Add this to your TBR immediately (it’s out now). Thank you Ruth and @hambright_pr for the ARC!

[Anne Wollstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah I loved this book! Will and Drew’s story was so good. Will’s character was so swoon worthy just like JJ. I loved their forbidden love and banter and yearning was chefs kiss. I absolutely love this book series and can’t wait for the next one.

[Caroline]

I’m sorry, this was god awful. There was no build up or consistency. I kept getting whiplash???? Literally terribly written which is so sad because I loved the idea.

ALSO tell me why our FMC was a fully functioning capable publicist at the ripe age of 21?? Capable enough to take on a highly anticipated and high profile NHL rookie?? It just doesn’t seem realistically possible.

Further, the MMC was so immature it actually made me so angry. The dude could not handle his emotions in the slightest, and there was no character development from this immaturity. All of a sudden his playboy antics just flipped like a switch??? And suddenly he was capable and willing to be in a committed relationship? I have read other reformed playboy books, and thoroughly enjoyed them, but this one???? Not my cup of tea AT ALL.

[Justina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 stars. The story is so unoriginal, it was painful at times. If this is your first hockey romance, sure, you can go for it, it’s a quick read, but if you’ve read more than 3 hockey roms you most likely will be bored TO DEATH because of how predictable and overused this storyline is. I’m exaggerating, but only a little.

The MMC is a stereotypical cocky hockey playing manwh*re. He falls in lust for his new publicist who’s also his coach’s daughter. He seems to be interested in our FMC mainly because their relationship is just. so. forbidden and she’s the only woman who’s ever said no to him (why yes, he’s just that irresistible).

The FMC is, you guessed it, a „good girl” workaholic. Her main goal is to remain professional while navigating her work relationship with the MMC-her new client whose reputation she’s trying to repair. Of course our MMC is giving her a hard time, because he’s an obnoxious overconfident manchild who throws very public tantrums on social media, including badmouthing his own team.

Also, for a hockey romance, there was almost no hockey in the book. The draft results were a big part of the prologue and then hockey was barely ever mentioned.

The audiobook itself was fine. Two narrators, male and female, however it wasn’t a duet narration, so it was hard at times to get immersed in the story with male narrator making female voices etc. The pacing was ok, the male narrator nailed the entitled attitude of the MMC and made his persona even more infuriating at times.

~~~~~~~~~~

I received this audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I hate leaving bad reviews for books I got for free, but unfortunately it really wasn’t a great read for me.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a sports romance lover, unfortunately I felt disappointed by this book. I felt that both Will and Drew lacked character depth and as a result their actions felt childish and without direction.
In particular I felt that Will annoyed me, as opposed to making me root for him and Drew. Will and Drew were childhood friends who grew up together when Drew was employed as the playboys publicist. To make things more complicated she is also the daughter of his coach. However, as soon as they began working together it was 'instant love' from Will. I will admit, although I love the 'he falls first' trope, instant love rarely appeals to me. It felt particularly out of place here when they had known each other so long - and yet there was no development of Will's character that made it seem as though the feelings had developed over time.
It seemed to me that the author was trying to force too many romance tropes into one story, as though to appeal to a wider audience.
This one just didn't hit the mark for me!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Breafae · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF this book at around 50%.

Honestly I don't feel like there was a story for this book, the MMC was annoying and I felt like the FMC was just desperate. The male narrator of this book was so monotone and boring while narrating.

Honestly, this one kind of hurt as I love a good hockey romance but this wasn't it.

[Vic (novelsandnoodles) · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️
Will MF Jones!!! This man is by far his father’s son.. He’s cocky and self assured and a playboy in his own right but by god why is this man so endearing??? He likes breaking the rules and doesn’t think about the consequences until Drew Callaghan, his life long friend is brought in to work with him to give him a better appearance to the outside world now that he’s joined the Seattle Rogues as their new rookie forward. Drew’s worked hard to achieve her goal of working in PR and couldn’t be more opposite to Will in the sense that she is cautious and likes to think things through. Now, up until a certain point these two start a completely platonic working relationship- until there’s a catalyst that literally flips the switch for Will! And this is when we see him go full blown ‘I’ll follow in my father’s Jone’s footsteps’ and turns into the biggest swoon dog around! Don’t be fooled- his cockiness is still there but underneath?? There’s a man who’s fallen hard and fast with the one person he least expects, never mind expects that he’s going to have to chase her too! And when Will calls Drew ‘baby’ very early on into their working relationship?? It just falls from his mouth so naturally and just fits them perfectly!
Drew really tries hard to keep boundaries in place, but let’s be honest. She can’t deny she’s always found him objectively attractive, but now they’re working closely she’s really begun to see the man underneath and that he really does care for her. She’s so professional but deep down begins to love that he brings out a little bit of reckless in her. And boy does he lay it out straight for her and basically tells her he’ll go to any lengths to prove they’re meant to be!
I’ll say this. I swooned from beginning to end reading this book- the nostalgia for this 2nd Gen book is REAL because we all know how much Kate and JJ - Wills parents and their book Dead Rinker means to me, and in my eyes it couldn’t of been more perfect. You’ll be pleased to know Drew and Wills banter is 5 star banging and that there is as always a new team chat that will use you laughing too! There are some spectacular parallels that will have your heart soaring, whilst also being a completely new individual story that’s just for them. And now it looks like I have another Jones man to swoon over- because I couldn’t possibly choose between father and son, so I’m claiming them both as mine! As I’ve told Ruth- JJ hasn’t been dethroned, he’s just been moved sideways to allow Will a seat at the table!!!🤣🤣
And don’t get me started on the little Easter eggs of whose HEA’s are coming our way, because as always I have some wild theories about the beautiful four family that’s being built.
As always Ruth has this way of having you dribbling over her characters right from the beginning, and now I’ll be thinking about them for weeks to come.

♾️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

[Briney (studying) · Rating 2 out of 5]

★★☆☆☆ Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fair Game was a fun and easy hockey romance that I flew through. I can see where Stilling was going with this, focusing on building chemistry and banter, and the Canadian setting is a win for me (it's been on my travel bucketlist forever!) The dynamic between MCs was quite good; I can see the attempts at making their back-and-forth feel natural and playful. I'd consider their conversations one of the strongest parts of the book.

That said, there were a few elements that didn't quite work for me. I really struggled to connect with the female narrator and some of the dirty talk simply wasn't to my taste. I also felt quite disconnected from Will's character; often he felt almost caricatured, particularly in how he believed he could protect FMC from the potential social fallout of their relationship... something so wildly out of his realm of control.

My biggest critique, however, was the writing style. At times it felt quite juvenile and leaned heavily towards telling rather than showing. I found that the narrative often explained characters' emotions and motivations in great detail instead of allowing the reader to infer them naturally. Personally, I prefer writing that trusts the reader a little more and leaves space for interpretation, creating a more immersive experience. Here, it sometimes felt like everything was presented on a silver platter rather than allowing the emotional beats to unfold organically.

Overall, I still had a good time with it. It's an entertaining hockey romance with likeable leads and easy-going chemistry - I can definitely see it finding an audience among readers who enjoy straightforward, character-driven romances. I'll be interested to see how Ruth Stilling's writing develops in future books, as I think there's potential here.