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Winning Love #2
Elite Player
Hockey’s biggest playboy knocked me out with a puck. One minute, I’m taking pictures of the team, and the next, I’m in a hospital room. With a fiancé.
Due to his off-ice shenanigans, Nico Tremblay needs to prove to the front office that he has changed his ways or else. So, after he gives me a concussion and sprained wrist, he concocts a wild idea to pretend we’re engaged. It would allow him to keep his spot on the team and get my family off my back.
There is only one small problem—no one would actually believe the gorgeous and charming left-winger could ever actually want to marry me, backward and inexperienced Josephine Atkins.
Except when he calls me his fiancée while staring at my lips, I almost believe it. Maybe it’s the concussion or a moment of wild rebellion against everyone I’ve ever known underestimating me…but I agree.
And then there’s no way out of this lie that binds us closer and closer together.
Due to his off-ice shenanigans, Nico Tremblay needs to prove to the front office that he has changed his ways or else. So, after he gives me a concussion and sprained wrist, he concocts a wild idea to pretend we’re engaged. It would allow him to keep his spot on the team and get my family off my back.
There is only one small problem—no one would actually believe the gorgeous and charming left-winger could ever actually want to marry me, backward and inexperienced Josephine Atkins.
Except when he calls me his fiancée while staring at my lips, I almost believe it. Maybe it’s the concussion or a moment of wild rebellion against everyone I’ve ever known underestimating me…but I agree.
And then there’s no way out of this lie that binds us closer and closer together.
Audible Audio
Published July 3, 2026
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May 26, 2026
Assistant to the professional Philadelphia hockey team photographer, Jo is working near the boards during a training session when she’s beaned with a puck to the head. Waking up in the hospital after vomiting and losing consciousness, she’s confused when she sees a room full of bouquets, a life-sized bear, and numerous other gifts. Most disconcerting is the gorgeous blonde hockey player whose slap shot was responsible for her current malady. Nico insists on visiting Jo each day she’s in hospital and covering her medical expenses. What neither of them counted on was her overbearing, bullying family members showing up and assuming Nico is Jo’s fiancé. More surprisingly, Nico goes along with it because he feels certain it will rehab his image as a womanizer who happened to sleep with his previous team’s geriatric owner’s twenty-something trophy wife.
Always up for a good time, never a long time, Nico’s been super casual and prolific when it comes to hookups, but Jo affects him differently: he feels protective of her, especially when he witnesses the horrible way she’s treated like a pariah and a joke by her family, the very people who should’ve guarded her heart and kept her safe. As he learns more about her and finds himself truly enjoying her calming company, he becomes a man who’ll burn down the world to avenge her. Jo for her part has no defense against this charming, golden retriever reformed playboy, but she’s certain she’ll be crushed under the scrutiny of social media and reality. As their relationship takes a very steamy physical turn, their feelings deepen, but old wounds have left huge scars on both of them.
These two bring so much baggage but they don’t weaponize it against each other. I wanted to pummel both sets of parents: there’s nothing worse than a parent who actively bullies their child(ren) or favors one or more over another, and to willfully choose not to believe a child who’s reluctantly sharing a traumatic truth is unconscionable. It was lovely to see the camaraderie among the teammates and the management team as well as witnessing Nico stand up for Jo at every turn, admitting promptly when he overstepped. Watching Jo become slightly more self-assured was rewarding as well.
A book by Sophie Andrews is an auto-buy for me, and I couldn’t have been more pleased to have received this advance reader copy from Wicked Reads Services, for which I’m sharing my honest impressions.
Always up for a good time, never a long time, Nico’s been super casual and prolific when it comes to hookups, but Jo affects him differently: he feels protective of her, especially when he witnesses the horrible way she’s treated like a pariah and a joke by her family, the very people who should’ve guarded her heart and kept her safe. As he learns more about her and finds himself truly enjoying her calming company, he becomes a man who’ll burn down the world to avenge her. Jo for her part has no defense against this charming, golden retriever reformed playboy, but she’s certain she’ll be crushed under the scrutiny of social media and reality. As their relationship takes a very steamy physical turn, their feelings deepen, but old wounds have left huge scars on both of them.
These two bring so much baggage but they don’t weaponize it against each other. I wanted to pummel both sets of parents: there’s nothing worse than a parent who actively bullies their child(ren) or favors one or more over another, and to willfully choose not to believe a child who’s reluctantly sharing a traumatic truth is unconscionable. It was lovely to see the camaraderie among the teammates and the management team as well as witnessing Nico stand up for Jo at every turn, admitting promptly when he overstepped. Watching Jo become slightly more self-assured was rewarding as well.
A book by Sophie Andrews is an auto-buy for me, and I couldn’t have been more pleased to have received this advance reader copy from Wicked Reads Services, for which I’m sharing my honest impressions.
Review of advance copy received from Author
❝ So, the point is, I choose you. Fate did me a solid, but I will always choose you. Every day, I choose you.❞
𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ★★★★ | 3🌶️
𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:
Hockey Romance
Golden Retriever × Black Cat
Fake Engagement
Virgin FMC
Reformed Playboy
Ugly Duckling
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။|||||။၊|။• emo girl by mgk feat. willow
⌞ 🏒 ⌝ ┊ 𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓸 𝓣𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓪𝔂
Nico is a total sweetheart!!! even with the playboy persona, he’s still so sweet. he’s thoughtful and always wants to make everyone happy. he’s actually perfect, but you know what they say about the happiest people? it’s not always rosy for them. he’s lonely himself until Jo comes along.
what makes his character hit even deeper is learning about his past and the sexual assault he experienced as a child. it adds a quiet weight to him that you don’t fully understand at first, but once you do, so many parts of him make sense in a different way.
i really appreciated that the story didn’t overlook it or treat it lightly. especially because male survivors are often not spoken about enough, it felt important that his experience was included and handled with care instead of being brushed aside.
⌞ 🖤 ⌝ ┊ 𝓙𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓹𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓐𝓽𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓼
oh my poor Jo.
she was bullied all her life and so she has low self-esteem. i felt so sorry for her. who bullies their own family for goodness sake? she has her walls up, but you start to see how much sunshine Nico brings into her life. he was her confidence booster, if i’m being honest. i never realized having a gap tooth was such a big insecurity for some people, especially since i’ve had one since i was a child.
┊͙ ˘͈ᵕ˘͈ this book had me cheesing so much!!! Nico is all the love languages combined final boss. i love him so much, he has definitely made it to the list of perfect men!
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✉︎ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ❝Jo, I will always choose you. But you were right. We needed time to figure things out.❞
when things got tough for them after their big fight, he never stopped loving her and that was when i knew i was gone.
Jo isn’t used to being the first choice and Nico shows her every time that he’ll choose her. she starts to trust herself and stand up for herself.
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ it was so lovey-dovey and i ate this book up sooo fast!!! Nico let Jo set the pace of their relationship. he was okay with whatever she was willing to give him at the time, which i adored very much. he calls her “𝓶𝔂 𝓼𝓪𝓼𝓼𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓮𝓶𝓸 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵” 🥹
their love is everything and i’ll miss them so much! they both encouraged each other to go to therapy instead of using themselves as a crutch for their feelings (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ‹𝟹
𝒸𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝓇𝒾𝑔𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈‼️
thank you @lunaliterary.management & @authorsophieandrews for the eARC
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆
𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙: the blurb sounds so exciting!! a sports romance and fake engagement trope? oh yes!!!
the last arc i read was a fake dating romance and i had so much fun with it, so i have high hopes for this one 🤭🌟
my arcs have been pretty good recently, so i trust this one will be too
August 5, 2026
Relatable
This is my first book by this author. I can't wait to read more.
This book was great because although the jist of the story line is like many romance novels, there were many parts that made it more real life. Having a not supporting family. That made the book not just a book but a story. Loved this book will read more from this author and recommend to others.
This is my first book by this author. I can't wait to read more.
This book was great because although the jist of the story line is like many romance novels, there were many parts that made it more real life. Having a not supporting family. That made the book not just a book but a story. Loved this book will read more from this author and recommend to others.
July 16, 2026
This book is great if you are needing a very basic, well produced, audiobook that needs little to no mental effort to follow along to. I am not an audible learner so books like this are great for when I need something to listen to while multitasking.
I received this in audio format from the publisher and it was great for a fun and easy listen while working around my house. My favorite part of the experience was without a doubt listening to Ryan Lee Dunlap’s portrayal of Nico, a hockey player who loves the ladies. Dunlap was giving strong “dumb blonde” vibes and it added humor to the story. The duet narration was so well done and overall the listening experience was an enjoyable one. There were several parts that had me giggling out loud. I don’t even think most parts were meant to be funny, the absurdity of it was just so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh. This book definitely was on the absurd side though. The pace at which these two were falling all over each other was almost weird and there were several awkward, secondhand embarrassing moments throughout the story. As far as personal preference, I’m not a huge fan of uber insecure FMCs. Struggling with some insecurities in a books is fine and even brings the character to life but there’s a fine line between relatable and just obnoxious while reading. Her insecurities sprung from years of toxicity from her family and also being bullied at school. I could see some readers resonating with Josephine and her past trauma.
I received this in audio format from the publisher and it was great for a fun and easy listen while working around my house. My favorite part of the experience was without a doubt listening to Ryan Lee Dunlap’s portrayal of Nico, a hockey player who loves the ladies. Dunlap was giving strong “dumb blonde” vibes and it added humor to the story. The duet narration was so well done and overall the listening experience was an enjoyable one. There were several parts that had me giggling out loud. I don’t even think most parts were meant to be funny, the absurdity of it was just so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh. This book definitely was on the absurd side though. The pace at which these two were falling all over each other was almost weird and there were several awkward, secondhand embarrassing moments throughout the story. As far as personal preference, I’m not a huge fan of uber insecure FMCs. Struggling with some insecurities in a books is fine and even brings the character to life but there’s a fine line between relatable and just obnoxious while reading. Her insecurities sprung from years of toxicity from her family and also being bullied at school. I could see some readers resonating with Josephine and her past trauma.
July 29, 2026
4.5
Y'all know I ALWAYS eat up the fake dating trope, and I think I might have found one of my favourite contemporary romance couples ever! Jo and Nico are seriously made for each other, and I am so grateful I picked this up!!
Right off the bat, Sophie Andrews established each of the main characters' voices so strongly, and that shines through in their interactions. I loved the way Nico's playful teasing bounced off Jo's shy reservedness. The black cat × golden retriever dynamic was done so incredibly well, and I loved watching Jo slowly open herself up to Nico. Likewise, it was so rewarding watching Nico realize he could finally shed the carefree, happy-go-lucky mask he'd worn for years and allow himself to be vulnerable around her.
The characters themselves absolutely have my heart.
JOOO my sweet girl Jo 😭 She seriously deserves all the good things in the world because no one should ever have to go through what she did. It must've been so isolating, being bullied for most of her life, even by her own so-called "family." And even after finally getting the chance to start over in a new city, they still refused to let her go, continuing to trample over her boundaries and haunt her from afar. Watching Jo finally break free from those shackles and learn to stand up for herself was so incredibly satisfying
Nico was just as precious. Not only was he neglected as a child, but he also carried some truly painful experiences from his past. Yet despite everything, he still chooses kindness. I'm so glad he and Jo found their way to each other. Seeing him finally open up about his past by the end of the book took so much courage, and I admired him all the more for it.
Jo and Nico's relationship progression was beautifully done. While the romance moved fairly quickly, it was executed so naturally that every stage felt believable. Although there may have been some forced proximity because of the fake engagement, Nico's curiosity towards Jo always felt genuine, just as Jo's appreciation for his company did. The transition from fake engagement and playful banter to genuine affection and all-consuming love never felt forced. I actually think that's especially difficult to pull off in a contemporary romance, where there isn't a larger fantasy plot constantly pushing the characters together. Here, it's simply two people getting to know each other, falling in love, and building a relationship, and Sophie Andrews absolutely nailed it.
Nico was not just a green flag, he was an entire green freaking forest. You know how people divide love languages into five different ways of expressing love? Yeah, this man somehow embodies them ALL OF THEM. He gives words of affirmation, prioritizes quality time (and actually follows through on his promises), is the KING of acts of service, gives Jo incredibly thoughtful gifts, and is hopelessly obsessed with physical touch. On top of all that, he READS ROMANCE NOVELS (side eyes a certain someone), stands up to Jo's family for her, and learns to knit just so he can enjoy her hobbies alongside her. BRB, I'm gonna go cry for a bit.
And the same could be said for Jo!! SHE'S an entire green freaking forest TOO!! She's been hurt by so many people throughout her life, yet once she lets someone in, she loves them with her whole heart. One of my absolute favourite scenes in the entire book was Tell me that's not a woman in love!!! It was such a deeply personal and thoughtful gesture that I honestly could've cried right alongside him.
The writing was incredibly easy to breeze through, and the dialogue was so much fun. I also ended up really loving a lot of the side characters.
Since I experienced this through the audiobook, I HAVE to give a special shout-out to the narration because it was absolutely top tier! Willa Jaymes was phenomenal as Jo, capturing every little nuance of her character perfectly. Ryan Lee Dunlap absolutely nailed Nico as well, not a single awkward line delivery or forced accent. Both performances somehow elevated an already wonderful story.
Overall, this is a fantastic pick if you're looking for a sports romance with fake engagement, a beautifully developed black cat × golden retriever relationship, and a romance that's equal parts sweet, funny, and emotional.
(P.S. Still don't get the blonde MMC hate, I didn't know we were judging men by their hair colour now. 😭)
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Sophie Andrews for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Y'all know I ALWAYS eat up the fake dating trope, and I think I might have found one of my favourite contemporary romance couples ever! Jo and Nico are seriously made for each other, and I am so grateful I picked this up!!
Right off the bat, Sophie Andrews established each of the main characters' voices so strongly, and that shines through in their interactions. I loved the way Nico's playful teasing bounced off Jo's shy reservedness. The black cat × golden retriever dynamic was done so incredibly well, and I loved watching Jo slowly open herself up to Nico. Likewise, it was so rewarding watching Nico realize he could finally shed the carefree, happy-go-lucky mask he'd worn for years and allow himself to be vulnerable around her.
The characters themselves absolutely have my heart.
JOOO my sweet girl Jo 😭 She seriously deserves all the good things in the world because no one should ever have to go through what she did. It must've been so isolating, being bullied for most of her life, even by her own so-called "family." And even after finally getting the chance to start over in a new city, they still refused to let her go, continuing to trample over her boundaries and haunt her from afar. Watching Jo finally break free from those shackles and learn to stand up for herself was so incredibly satisfying
Nico was just as precious. Not only was he neglected as a child, but he also carried some truly painful experiences from his past. Yet despite everything, he still chooses kindness. I'm so glad he and Jo found their way to each other. Seeing him finally open up about his past by the end of the book took so much courage, and I admired him all the more for it.
Jo and Nico's relationship progression was beautifully done. While the romance moved fairly quickly, it was executed so naturally that every stage felt believable. Although there may have been some forced proximity because of the fake engagement, Nico's curiosity towards Jo always felt genuine, just as Jo's appreciation for his company did. The transition from fake engagement and playful banter to genuine affection and all-consuming love never felt forced. I actually think that's especially difficult to pull off in a contemporary romance, where there isn't a larger fantasy plot constantly pushing the characters together. Here, it's simply two people getting to know each other, falling in love, and building a relationship, and Sophie Andrews absolutely nailed it.
Nico was not just a green flag, he was an entire green freaking forest. You know how people divide love languages into five different ways of expressing love? Yeah, this man somehow embodies them ALL OF THEM. He gives words of affirmation, prioritizes quality time (and actually follows through on his promises), is the KING of acts of service, gives Jo incredibly thoughtful gifts, and is hopelessly obsessed with physical touch. On top of all that, he READS ROMANCE NOVELS (side eyes a certain someone), stands up to Jo's family for her, and learns to knit just so he can enjoy her hobbies alongside her. BRB, I'm gonna go cry for a bit.
And the same could be said for Jo!! SHE'S an entire green freaking forest TOO!! She's been hurt by so many people throughout her life, yet once she lets someone in, she loves them with her whole heart. One of my absolute favourite scenes in the entire book was Tell me that's not a woman in love!!! It was such a deeply personal and thoughtful gesture that I honestly could've cried right alongside him.
The writing was incredibly easy to breeze through, and the dialogue was so much fun. I also ended up really loving a lot of the side characters.
Since I experienced this through the audiobook, I HAVE to give a special shout-out to the narration because it was absolutely top tier! Willa Jaymes was phenomenal as Jo, capturing every little nuance of her character perfectly. Ryan Lee Dunlap absolutely nailed Nico as well, not a single awkward line delivery or forced accent. Both performances somehow elevated an already wonderful story.
Overall, this is a fantastic pick if you're looking for a sports romance with fake engagement, a beautifully developed black cat × golden retriever relationship, and a romance that's equal parts sweet, funny, and emotional.
(P.S. Still don't get the blonde MMC hate, I didn't know we were judging men by their hair colour now. 😭)
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Sophie Andrews for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Tropes don't get much better than he falls first, sexy, playboy, hockey player, getting fake engaged to the socially awkward, virgin, team photographer in an attempt to clean up his image 🫣
Great story, well written characters with depth and trauma, that grow together and help and support each other in so many ways and of course their steamy chemistry helped too
The mental health rep was well done and necessary and I'm so happy the ending didn't involve an overnight magic fix to the family relationships... this felt real 💕
Thank you Sophie and Luna Literary for the great ARC opportunity
❤️ How I Rate Books
⭐ didn't like it
⭐⭐ it was ok
⭐⭐⭐ I liked it
⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing! Will reread!
Great story, well written characters with depth and trauma, that grow together and help and support each other in so many ways and of course their steamy chemistry helped too
The mental health rep was well done and necessary and I'm so happy the ending didn't involve an overnight magic fix to the family relationships... this felt real 💕
Thank you Sophie and Luna Literary for the great ARC opportunity
❤️ How I Rate Books
⭐ didn't like it
⭐⭐ it was ok
⭐⭐⭐ I liked it
⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing! Will reread!
August 3, 2026
3.5
Disclaimer: Elite Player is the second book in the series, but it works perfectly as an interconnected standalone. I went into this without reading the first book, and I never felt like I was missing anything.
I found this audiobook at the perfect time because I thought a hockey romance would be a fun and easy listen during this summer heat. What I didn’t expect was for this story to warm my heart with how sweet and tender it ended up being.
First of all, the narrators did an incredible job bringing Nico and Josephine to life. Both voices perfectly captured their personalities, emotions, and chemistry, and I truly think the audiobook experience was a huge advantage for this story. For the narration alone, this is a 5/5 for me.
As for the story itself, I don’t have too much to say. Aside from a few trigger warnings I wasn’t expecting, this was a sweet romance with its ups and downs that was enjoyable to listen to. The beginning is definitely a little surreal (for the fake fiancé setup), but once you get past it, the story flows really well.
Nico was the character who really carried the story for me. He was charming and playful, and despite being a little skeptical of him at first because of his attitude toward relationships and sex, it didn't take long for me to warm up to him. Getting to know his more vulnerable side completely changed my opinion of him. Seeing the person behind the confident hockey player was probably my favorite part of the book, and I couldn't help but fall for him.
Josephine was a more complicated character for me. She carries a lot of emotional scars, and watching her grow was both heartbreaking and sometimes frustrating because there were so many moments where her insecurities stopped her from seeing her own worth. At one point, I found it a little ironic that she suggested Nico should talk to a therapist during a scene when she was clearly someone who could benefit from that support as well. However, I appreciated that both characters were able to face their issues and grow throughout the story instead of one person “fixing” the other.
The intimate scenes were surprisingly sweet. They were tender and felt like an important part of their relationship rather than just being included for the sake of it.
The last part of the book slowed down a little for me, but I understand why those moments were necessary to show the evolution of their relationship and give them the emotional conflict they needed.
Overall, this was a cute and heartwarming hockey romance with excellent narration, a lovable hero, and some heavier themes handled with sensitivity. I think this is definitely a story that works better as an audiobook than as a physical read because the narrators add so much personality and charm to the characters.
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: Elite Player is the second book in the series, but it works perfectly as an interconnected standalone. I went into this without reading the first book, and I never felt like I was missing anything.
I found this audiobook at the perfect time because I thought a hockey romance would be a fun and easy listen during this summer heat. What I didn’t expect was for this story to warm my heart with how sweet and tender it ended up being.
First of all, the narrators did an incredible job bringing Nico and Josephine to life. Both voices perfectly captured their personalities, emotions, and chemistry, and I truly think the audiobook experience was a huge advantage for this story. For the narration alone, this is a 5/5 for me.
As for the story itself, I don’t have too much to say. Aside from a few trigger warnings I wasn’t expecting, this was a sweet romance with its ups and downs that was enjoyable to listen to. The beginning is definitely a little surreal (for the fake fiancé setup), but once you get past it, the story flows really well.
Nico was the character who really carried the story for me. He was charming and playful, and despite being a little skeptical of him at first because of his attitude toward relationships and sex, it didn't take long for me to warm up to him. Getting to know his more vulnerable side completely changed my opinion of him. Seeing the person behind the confident hockey player was probably my favorite part of the book, and I couldn't help but fall for him.
Josephine was a more complicated character for me. She carries a lot of emotional scars, and watching her grow was both heartbreaking and sometimes frustrating because there were so many moments where her insecurities stopped her from seeing her own worth. At one point, I found it a little ironic that she suggested Nico should talk to a therapist during a scene when she was clearly someone who could benefit from that support as well. However, I appreciated that both characters were able to face their issues and grow throughout the story instead of one person “fixing” the other.
The intimate scenes were surprisingly sweet. They were tender and felt like an important part of their relationship rather than just being included for the sake of it.
The last part of the book slowed down a little for me, but I understand why those moments were necessary to show the evolution of their relationship and give them the emotional conflict they needed.
Overall, this was a cute and heartwarming hockey romance with excellent narration, a lovable hero, and some heavier themes handled with sensitivity. I think this is definitely a story that works better as an audiobook than as a physical read because the narrators add so much personality and charm to the characters.
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 15, 2026
Thank you SO much to the author Sophie Andrews for the complimentary copy of this!
This book is available now!
"Kinda turns me on to watch you drive."
"I'd assume a spring breeze turns you on."
"If it accidentally flipped up a sundress, absolutely."
I am fortunate enough to be friends with the author so I was able to express to the author how much I loved this book! And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact of how much of a golden retriever Nico was. Like I was obsessed with him. He accidentally hits Josephine, who is his hockey's team assistant photographer, with a puck that sends her to the hospital. Feeling horrible, he visits her in the hospital where her family assumes that he is her fiance she claimed she had.
Nico immediately just went right into fiance mode and didn't look back. He saw the way that her family was treating her (which you'll understand what that means when you read it) and wanted to urgently make things better for her. He has the reputation of being a playboy and because of his personal life mixed with how he is playing, he is on the brink of being traded. So faking an engagement with his kind of co worker seemed like the best way to also help him.
As I mentioned Nico was such a golden retriever and Jo just was so confused by it. She has never had attention from anyone but especially from a man. She has done a lot of work on herself to get her to where she is now but whenever she is around her family, they just knock her down. Nico makes her feel so special and spoils her rotten. And for her knowing his reputation, I would have felt like his stuff wasn't necessarily genuine because he jokes that he would pretty much have sex with anyone that walked (it may have been joking but still). We know in his POV that he is being truthful and as they go along with the whole fake engagement ruse, he begins to fall - hard and fast. She falls as well but its a more quiet fall. I think because of his reputation and because of her never have this kind of attention that it took her awhile for her to warm up to him and his advances.
"Nico, you're a famous hockey player, and I'm...nobody."
"You're my fiancee."
One of my favorite features of Nico is how protective he was of Jo. They had a family visit for her great grandmother's birthday and he was not putting up with any of their bull. He stands up to her which was just such a reminder how much he truly cared about her. He just wanted her to shine and have her interests/likes be championed. I always smiled when he would talk about something she liked and he goes "Jo loves it, so I do too." SWOOON!
There is a big 3rd act blow up with not only with each other but with her family. And I was stressed. I felt so bad for Nico with how things were going. I understand where Jo was coming from but I think the reaction could have been differently. I mentioned how much her family were no good and this scene really brought to light all the horrible things they have done with her. I am glad that this led to Josephine setting boundaries.
Sophie is SO great with banter and this one made me giggle and kick scream so many times! And just like with her other books, the spice was spicing! Jo may have been inexperience but Nico was patient and such a great teacher.
I just thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had told the author that this book is my new favorite of theirs! The next book in this sports series is baseball featuring brothers which was teased at the end of this one. Cannot wait!
I recommend this book if you love a hockey romance, fake engagement, dysfunctional families filled with heart, banter and spice!
This book is available now!
"Kinda turns me on to watch you drive."
"I'd assume a spring breeze turns you on."
"If it accidentally flipped up a sundress, absolutely."
I am fortunate enough to be friends with the author so I was able to express to the author how much I loved this book! And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact of how much of a golden retriever Nico was. Like I was obsessed with him. He accidentally hits Josephine, who is his hockey's team assistant photographer, with a puck that sends her to the hospital. Feeling horrible, he visits her in the hospital where her family assumes that he is her fiance she claimed she had.
Nico immediately just went right into fiance mode and didn't look back. He saw the way that her family was treating her (which you'll understand what that means when you read it) and wanted to urgently make things better for her. He has the reputation of being a playboy and because of his personal life mixed with how he is playing, he is on the brink of being traded. So faking an engagement with his kind of co worker seemed like the best way to also help him.
As I mentioned Nico was such a golden retriever and Jo just was so confused by it. She has never had attention from anyone but especially from a man. She has done a lot of work on herself to get her to where she is now but whenever she is around her family, they just knock her down. Nico makes her feel so special and spoils her rotten. And for her knowing his reputation, I would have felt like his stuff wasn't necessarily genuine because he jokes that he would pretty much have sex with anyone that walked (it may have been joking but still). We know in his POV that he is being truthful and as they go along with the whole fake engagement ruse, he begins to fall - hard and fast. She falls as well but its a more quiet fall. I think because of his reputation and because of her never have this kind of attention that it took her awhile for her to warm up to him and his advances.
"Nico, you're a famous hockey player, and I'm...nobody."
"You're my fiancee."
One of my favorite features of Nico is how protective he was of Jo. They had a family visit for her great grandmother's birthday and he was not putting up with any of their bull. He stands up to her which was just such a reminder how much he truly cared about her. He just wanted her to shine and have her interests/likes be championed. I always smiled when he would talk about something she liked and he goes "Jo loves it, so I do too." SWOOON!
There is a big 3rd act blow up with not only with each other but with her family. And I was stressed. I felt so bad for Nico with how things were going. I understand where Jo was coming from but I think the reaction could have been differently. I mentioned how much her family were no good and this scene really brought to light all the horrible things they have done with her. I am glad that this led to Josephine setting boundaries.
Sophie is SO great with banter and this one made me giggle and kick scream so many times! And just like with her other books, the spice was spicing! Jo may have been inexperience but Nico was patient and such a great teacher.
I just thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had told the author that this book is my new favorite of theirs! The next book in this sports series is baseball featuring brothers which was teased at the end of this one. Cannot wait!
I recommend this book if you love a hockey romance, fake engagement, dysfunctional families filled with heart, banter and spice!
July 14, 2026
Quick Summary: A hockey & hearts romance
My Review: Elite Player by Sophie Andrews is book #2 in the Winning Love series. It is labeled as "A Fake Engagement Hockey Romance." The book is being released TODAY (7/14/26)!
About the Book: "Hockey’s biggest playboy knocked me out with a puck. One minute, I’m taking pictures of the team, and the next, I’m in a hospital room. With a fiancé."
In My Own Words: Who ever said an accidental oops couldn't lead to something special? Even if it starts as something fake doesn't mean it can't move toward forever.
What I Liked:
🏒 + 📸 - You had me at hockey and kept me at photog. It was a match up that I could definitely work with, thank you very much!
❤️🩹 - Working through the tension and conflicts, then coming out of it with strength and growth - that part. Rewriting the narrative of one's life will forever be a nice get down elevation.
💍 - The fake dating/fake engagement trope will always be a win in my eyes. Score!
💙 - The realness of the flawed leads. They both had to deal with brokenness, challenges, expectations, and personal struggle, but it did not take away from their likability, if that makes sense. If anything, it made them more relatable. Believable. The who-ness & what-ness of their lives added texture, which I love, and depth, which made me even more interested in seeing each of them and both of them.
🌶️ - Just the right amount of nice and spice to keep things on point. Umm...yep. Think protective and serve (not like law enforcement but like golden protector mode).
💖 - Don't you just love a good love story that has all the feels and emotion? Me, too.
About the Audiobook: Elite Player was narrated by Willa Jaymes & Ryan Lee Dunlap. This team made the story highly entertaining. The listening experience was what it needed to be.
My Final Say: Truthfully, I wanted to read this story because of the premise. It was in my sweet spot zone. In the end, it was more than fluff and had more heart than I realized. The novel touches on some serious themes. I could not help but to walk away with a breaking-out-of-the-assigned-molds-and-roles appreciation. Ultimately, this book is a love story, a life story, and a story about healing.
I will definitely have to back up to book 1, Going Deep.
Other: Readers who enjoy the fake engagement trope, sports romances, and love in unexpected ways storylines will like this book.
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A
Re-read: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Level: ❤️
Format: 🎧
Series: Yes
Cover: +
Title: +
Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to an ALC of this title. I am grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
My Review: Elite Player by Sophie Andrews is book #2 in the Winning Love series. It is labeled as "A Fake Engagement Hockey Romance." The book is being released TODAY (7/14/26)!
About the Book: "Hockey’s biggest playboy knocked me out with a puck. One minute, I’m taking pictures of the team, and the next, I’m in a hospital room. With a fiancé."
In My Own Words: Who ever said an accidental oops couldn't lead to something special? Even if it starts as something fake doesn't mean it can't move toward forever.
What I Liked:
🏒 + 📸 - You had me at hockey and kept me at photog. It was a match up that I could definitely work with, thank you very much!
❤️🩹 - Working through the tension and conflicts, then coming out of it with strength and growth - that part. Rewriting the narrative of one's life will forever be a nice get down elevation.
💍 - The fake dating/fake engagement trope will always be a win in my eyes. Score!
💙 - The realness of the flawed leads. They both had to deal with brokenness, challenges, expectations, and personal struggle, but it did not take away from their likability, if that makes sense. If anything, it made them more relatable. Believable. The who-ness & what-ness of their lives added texture, which I love, and depth, which made me even more interested in seeing each of them and both of them.
🌶️ - Just the right amount of nice and spice to keep things on point. Umm...yep. Think protective and serve (not like law enforcement but like golden protector mode).
💖 - Don't you just love a good love story that has all the feels and emotion? Me, too.
About the Audiobook: Elite Player was narrated by Willa Jaymes & Ryan Lee Dunlap. This team made the story highly entertaining. The listening experience was what it needed to be.
My Final Say: Truthfully, I wanted to read this story because of the premise. It was in my sweet spot zone. In the end, it was more than fluff and had more heart than I realized. The novel touches on some serious themes. I could not help but to walk away with a breaking-out-of-the-assigned-molds-and-roles appreciation. Ultimately, this book is a love story, a life story, and a story about healing.
I will definitely have to back up to book 1, Going Deep.
Other: Readers who enjoy the fake engagement trope, sports romances, and love in unexpected ways storylines will like this book.
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A
Re-read: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Level: ❤️
Format: 🎧
Series: Yes
Cover: +
Title: +
Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to an ALC of this title. I am grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
June 10, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️.75
🏒 Hockey Romance
✨️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒 Fake Relationship
✨️ Forced Proximity
🏒 Opposites Attract
✨️ Golden Retriver X Black Cat
✨️ 📚 ARC 📖 REVIEW ✨️
This was such a fun read from the very beginning. I loved Nico and how he was such a happy go lucky guy! He was the Sunshine and Jo was our grumpy! I love a reverse grumpy sunshine because it gives the book a more real feeling.
Nico needed to clean up his image, and the perfect opportunity to fix his reputation. Jo comes into the story by being the way that Nico can help straighten out his reputaiton. Jo hasn't been the luckiest in life or with her family, who unfortunately tells her frequently. Nico becomes the person in her life that is the dependable person she can lean on when she is having a rough time.
Nico has such a big heart and is more than happy to go out of his way to do something for Jo. He makes sure that she knows and feels that she is wanted, loved, valued and safe. Something that she could never get from her family, he makes sure that she feels it. Right in the chest, is where I felt it! I couldn't help but feel my heart warming up in such a way! I wish I could feel that feeling more when it comes to books!
I loved how they each shared the brunt of everything in their pasts with each other. They not only shouldered thier pasts together but also held understanding, had the patience for each ohter so easily, but also caring for each other in only a way that one would see between lovers.
I can't help but love the heartwarming moments all the way through the book! I couldn't help but fall for these characters and how they had so much emotional depth.
Thank you 🫶🏻 to ✨️ Sophie Andrews✨️ for the complimentary 📚 ARC 📚. ✨️ All opinions are my own, honest, and voluntary✨️.
🌶️🌶️.75
🏒 Hockey Romance
✨️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒 Fake Relationship
✨️ Forced Proximity
🏒 Opposites Attract
✨️ Golden Retriver X Black Cat
✨️ 📚 ARC 📖 REVIEW ✨️
This was such a fun read from the very beginning. I loved Nico and how he was such a happy go lucky guy! He was the Sunshine and Jo was our grumpy! I love a reverse grumpy sunshine because it gives the book a more real feeling.
Nico needed to clean up his image, and the perfect opportunity to fix his reputation. Jo comes into the story by being the way that Nico can help straighten out his reputaiton. Jo hasn't been the luckiest in life or with her family, who unfortunately tells her frequently. Nico becomes the person in her life that is the dependable person she can lean on when she is having a rough time.
Nico has such a big heart and is more than happy to go out of his way to do something for Jo. He makes sure that she knows and feels that she is wanted, loved, valued and safe. Something that she could never get from her family, he makes sure that she feels it. Right in the chest, is where I felt it! I couldn't help but feel my heart warming up in such a way! I wish I could feel that feeling more when it comes to books!
I loved how they each shared the brunt of everything in their pasts with each other. They not only shouldered thier pasts together but also held understanding, had the patience for each ohter so easily, but also caring for each other in only a way that one would see between lovers.
I can't help but love the heartwarming moments all the way through the book! I couldn't help but fall for these characters and how they had so much emotional depth.
Thank you 🫶🏻 to ✨️ Sophie Andrews✨️ for the complimentary 📚 ARC 📚. ✨️ All opinions are my own, honest, and voluntary✨️.
August 5, 2026
✨ALC provided by NetGalley for an honest review✨
Elite Player is for people who love a good fake relationship story! Nico is a lovable hockey player that has a problem with keeping it in his pants. He’s never been in a serious relationship and just wants to have fun, but everything changes when he accidentally clocks a team photographer in the face with a puck 😬 Poor Josephine has lived her whole life being bullied by her family and townsfolk to the point that she moved to New York to start a new life. She hides behind her camera and from the world, but after getting hit with that puck it puts her in the spotlight! When her family comes to visit her in the hospital and Nico shows up, he gets mistaken for Josephine’s nonexistent fiance and he decides to go with it 😂
I loved Nico so much! Josephine has really bad self esteem because of her bullying, but Nico is absolutely smitten with his cute little goth girl 😍 He pulls her out of her funk and shows her the beautiful person that she is and fully supports her in all aspects of her life! I loved their relationship and their grumpy/sunshine personalities, and the he fell fast and hard for his Jo Jo 🥰 I wasn’t a big fan of the third act breakup, but the ending was adorable and the HEA was well earned ❤️
The audiobook was duet narrated by Ryan Lee Dunlap and Willa James. Ryan made you fall in love with Nico and really brought out his sweet and fun personality, and Willa shined as the sad little goth girl who really just needed to be truly loved 🥰 The book did touch on some serious subjects that helped flesh out the characters and explain why they are the way they are, but it rounded out the story well. This was a fun listen and I definitely recommend checking it out ❤️
Elite Player is for people who love a good fake relationship story! Nico is a lovable hockey player that has a problem with keeping it in his pants. He’s never been in a serious relationship and just wants to have fun, but everything changes when he accidentally clocks a team photographer in the face with a puck 😬 Poor Josephine has lived her whole life being bullied by her family and townsfolk to the point that she moved to New York to start a new life. She hides behind her camera and from the world, but after getting hit with that puck it puts her in the spotlight! When her family comes to visit her in the hospital and Nico shows up, he gets mistaken for Josephine’s nonexistent fiance and he decides to go with it 😂
I loved Nico so much! Josephine has really bad self esteem because of her bullying, but Nico is absolutely smitten with his cute little goth girl 😍 He pulls her out of her funk and shows her the beautiful person that she is and fully supports her in all aspects of her life! I loved their relationship and their grumpy/sunshine personalities, and the he fell fast and hard for his Jo Jo 🥰 I wasn’t a big fan of the third act breakup, but the ending was adorable and the HEA was well earned ❤️
The audiobook was duet narrated by Ryan Lee Dunlap and Willa James. Ryan made you fall in love with Nico and really brought out his sweet and fun personality, and Willa shined as the sad little goth girl who really just needed to be truly loved 🥰 The book did touch on some serious subjects that helped flesh out the characters and explain why they are the way they are, but it rounded out the story well. This was a fun listen and I definitely recommend checking it out ❤️
June 17, 2026
“Elite Player” by Sophie Andrews
📘 Format: Digital Book
📚 Pub Date: 06.05.26
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
“Elite Player” by Sophie Andrews is a fake-dating dual POV hockey romance.
Josephine and Nico find themselves in separate situations where they realize that it would be mutually beneficial for them to pretend to be engaged; with every intention to fake break-up in a few months’ time.
During this period of fake-dating, they genuinely support
and encourage each other.
They are legitimately interested in each other’s well being and they find that they have an instinct to protect each other. This leads them to start to consider that they may be better together, for real.
I loved the character development and personal growth that both Josephine and Nico experienced throughout the book, and it was fulfilling to read about their increasing self-awareness.
This book tackles some very difficult and challenging issues with sensitivity and grace. I was impressed to see the self-improvement that Josephine & Nico were able to achieve, in spite of the obstacles that they faced in their lives.
If you are interested in spicy content, this book has plenty.
Though I generally prefer reading sports books centering on the sport of Hockey, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, “Fair Ball” by Sophie Andrews.
Thank you to Sophie Andrews & Luna Literary for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.
#ElitePlayer
#SophieAndrews
#LunaLiterary
📘 Format: Digital Book
📚 Pub Date: 06.05.26
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
“Elite Player” by Sophie Andrews is a fake-dating dual POV hockey romance.
Josephine and Nico find themselves in separate situations where they realize that it would be mutually beneficial for them to pretend to be engaged; with every intention to fake break-up in a few months’ time.
During this period of fake-dating, they genuinely support
and encourage each other.
They are legitimately interested in each other’s well being and they find that they have an instinct to protect each other. This leads them to start to consider that they may be better together, for real.
I loved the character development and personal growth that both Josephine and Nico experienced throughout the book, and it was fulfilling to read about their increasing self-awareness.
This book tackles some very difficult and challenging issues with sensitivity and grace. I was impressed to see the self-improvement that Josephine & Nico were able to achieve, in spite of the obstacles that they faced in their lives.
If you are interested in spicy content, this book has plenty.
Though I generally prefer reading sports books centering on the sport of Hockey, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, “Fair Ball” by Sophie Andrews.
Thank you to Sophie Andrews & Luna Literary for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.
#ElitePlayer
#SophieAndrews
#LunaLiterary
June 5, 2026
Nico is a hockey player with a reputation for being a bit of a fckboy. One day he gets a talking to about cleaning up his act and behaving less like a player and more like a team member. He meets Josephine after an accident where he hits her in the head with a puck. Could it be fate? Jo is a shy and reserved photographer, she has had a rough upbringing full of bullying and she struggles to make eye contact with people, preferring to view life through the lens of a camera. Nico, golden retriever he is, befriends Jo and gets roped into a fake fiancé scheme. This works for him as well as he believes this will show the team’s managers that he’s settling down.
Both of these characters are complex with baggage they’re carrying with them through life due to their past. I loved Nico’s full steam ahead exuberance and he was always in Jo’s corner, even when things were ‘fake’. Jo was calm and quiet and brought Nico the peace he was missing in his life.
I really enjoyed this book. Nico was my favourite, I just love how all in he was from the get-go. Jo was smart, but also flawed which made her feel like someone I know and would spend time with in real life. She just had to believe in herself too. All of the men in Sophie’s books are always amazing and Nico is the same. He’s lovely and the perfect book boyfriend. I would definitely recommend reading this book, it was plot and spice.
I received an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Both of these characters are complex with baggage they’re carrying with them through life due to their past. I loved Nico’s full steam ahead exuberance and he was always in Jo’s corner, even when things were ‘fake’. Jo was calm and quiet and brought Nico the peace he was missing in his life.
I really enjoyed this book. Nico was my favourite, I just love how all in he was from the get-go. Jo was smart, but also flawed which made her feel like someone I know and would spend time with in real life. She just had to believe in herself too. All of the men in Sophie’s books are always amazing and Nico is the same. He’s lovely and the perfect book boyfriend. I would definitely recommend reading this book, it was plot and spice.
I received an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.
July 8, 2026
This was such a cute listen! This is my first from this author and definitely will be checking out more.
Our hockey playboy needs to clean up his image and after he knocks out the assistant photographer for the team with a puck to her head, he decides they can pretend that she is his fake fiancé.
The two of them together have a lot of baggage that we slowly learn about as their relationship grows, but the best part is that they didn't use it against each other. Both of them had horrible parents which explains why the trauma is there.
I loved seeing the relationship between the two of them grown, their characters grow and watching them fall in love. The way that Nico was there for Jo and stood up for her? Swoon! This one was more of a slow burn, and it was totally worth it.
The audio is duet narration by Willa Jaymes and Ryan Lee Dunlap and they did such an amazing job and really portrayed the characters so well. We definitely got all of the emotions.
If you're looking for a cute read/listen that has hockey, fake dating, found family, a virgin FMC, healing, spice, and just all the emotions, then definitely check this one out!
Huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for the copy to listen to!
Our hockey playboy needs to clean up his image and after he knocks out the assistant photographer for the team with a puck to her head, he decides they can pretend that she is his fake fiancé.
The two of them together have a lot of baggage that we slowly learn about as their relationship grows, but the best part is that they didn't use it against each other. Both of them had horrible parents which explains why the trauma is there.
I loved seeing the relationship between the two of them grown, their characters grow and watching them fall in love. The way that Nico was there for Jo and stood up for her? Swoon! This one was more of a slow burn, and it was totally worth it.
The audio is duet narration by Willa Jaymes and Ryan Lee Dunlap and they did such an amazing job and really portrayed the characters so well. We definitely got all of the emotions.
If you're looking for a cute read/listen that has hockey, fake dating, found family, a virgin FMC, healing, spice, and just all the emotions, then definitely check this one out!
Huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for the copy to listen to!
July 14, 2026
⭐️ 5/5
🌶️ 3/5
Sports romances and fake engagements are my new favourite thing! 😆
I loved this so much! We start off strong with the best meet cute: Pro hockey player Niko (the MMC) accidentally launching a puck, full force, straight into the back of Josephine’s (FMC) head and knocking her out, resulting in her needing to go to the hospital. Fantastic! 😂 The cuteness begins from there. Niko is an absolute cinnamon roll and Jo is a low confidence, emo girly.
I loved both of the characters, their personalities were unique and intriguing in their own ways. Both Jo and Niko have some form of trauma in their past which defines their characters and makes for a more interesting read.
I felt I could really relate to some of Jo’s issues, and my creative side also loved her passion for photography, kinda makes me want to pick up that hobby again! 🥰
I listened to this as an Audiobook and found the narrators voices easy to listen to and engaging, Willa Jaymes and Ryan Lee Dunlap did a fantastic job! 👏🏼
If you’re looking for a feel good book with hockey related sports romance and fake dating tropes then I highly recommend this one.
Thank you so much NetGalley and Sophie Andrews for this ALC of Elite Player 🩷
🌶️ 3/5
Sports romances and fake engagements are my new favourite thing! 😆
I loved this so much! We start off strong with the best meet cute: Pro hockey player Niko (the MMC) accidentally launching a puck, full force, straight into the back of Josephine’s (FMC) head and knocking her out, resulting in her needing to go to the hospital. Fantastic! 😂 The cuteness begins from there. Niko is an absolute cinnamon roll and Jo is a low confidence, emo girly.
I loved both of the characters, their personalities were unique and intriguing in their own ways. Both Jo and Niko have some form of trauma in their past which defines their characters and makes for a more interesting read.
I felt I could really relate to some of Jo’s issues, and my creative side also loved her passion for photography, kinda makes me want to pick up that hobby again! 🥰
I listened to this as an Audiobook and found the narrators voices easy to listen to and engaging, Willa Jaymes and Ryan Lee Dunlap did a fantastic job! 👏🏼
If you’re looking for a feel good book with hockey related sports romance and fake dating tropes then I highly recommend this one.
Thank you so much NetGalley and Sophie Andrews for this ALC of Elite Player 🩷
July 7, 2026
Elite Player 🏒📸
By: Sophie Andrews
Narrated by: Willa Jaymes & Ryan Lee Dunlap
This was my first book by Sophie Andrews and I was absolutely blown away! This wasn’t just a funny and spicy hockey romance. These characters had so much depth and genuine growth.
Nico was amazing in literally every single way, capturing that perfect golden retriever, sunshine funny guy energy. Josephine was broken and deserved every single bit of his awesomeness (it’s like they were fated mates 🐺🦖😂). The book is incredibly funny (the cat distribution center line was great), spicy in the best of ways, and absolutely zero cringe!
Both narrators did an amazing job together. Ryan Lee Dunlap completely nailed Nico's charm. Willa Jaymes did an incredible job showing Josephine’s vulnerabilities as she came out of her shell. Together the duet was honestly perfect.
Thank you to Sophie Andrews, Victory Editing and NetGalley for providing this ALC. I am leaving this review completely voluntarily, and all thoughts are my own.
By: Sophie Andrews
Narrated by: Willa Jaymes & Ryan Lee Dunlap
This was my first book by Sophie Andrews and I was absolutely blown away! This wasn’t just a funny and spicy hockey romance. These characters had so much depth and genuine growth.
Nico was amazing in literally every single way, capturing that perfect golden retriever, sunshine funny guy energy. Josephine was broken and deserved every single bit of his awesomeness (it’s like they were fated mates 🐺🦖😂). The book is incredibly funny (the cat distribution center line was great), spicy in the best of ways, and absolutely zero cringe!
Both narrators did an amazing job together. Ryan Lee Dunlap completely nailed Nico's charm. Willa Jaymes did an incredible job showing Josephine’s vulnerabilities as she came out of her shell. Together the duet was honestly perfect.
Thank you to Sophie Andrews, Victory Editing and NetGalley for providing this ALC. I am leaving this review completely voluntarily, and all thoughts are my own.
July 9, 2026
E-ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review!
To get straight to the point, I really enjoyed Elite Player! I think if you enjoy a hockey romance, à la Becka Macks ‘Playing for Keeps’ series or Elle Kennedy’s “Off Campus”, you will enjoy this one as well.
However, I do think the similarity to the millions of other sports romances does come to its detriment as well (this may be because I’ve read plenty of these and tend to enjoy them). Josephine and Nico are compelling characters, yes, but they are not original. I was waiting for each and every story beat to occur (and I was oftentimes right). I did enjoy the story, and I did enjoy the writing, and i did enjoy the narration, but none of it ever stuck out to me. The narration of this audiobook was brilliantly done. I found the story immediately immersive, and each of the narrators were very pleasant to listen to!
3 ⭐️
To get straight to the point, I really enjoyed Elite Player! I think if you enjoy a hockey romance, à la Becka Macks ‘Playing for Keeps’ series or Elle Kennedy’s “Off Campus”, you will enjoy this one as well.
However, I do think the similarity to the millions of other sports romances does come to its detriment as well (this may be because I’ve read plenty of these and tend to enjoy them). Josephine and Nico are compelling characters, yes, but they are not original. I was waiting for each and every story beat to occur (and I was oftentimes right). I did enjoy the story, and I did enjoy the writing, and i did enjoy the narration, but none of it ever stuck out to me. The narration of this audiobook was brilliantly done. I found the story immediately immersive, and each of the narrators were very pleasant to listen to!
3 ⭐️
July 30, 2026
What a wild rollercoaster read this was!
A mix of heartwarming sweetness, love, stress, trauma and characters finding themselves. The story made me laugh, gasp and cry. Both Jo and Nico going through a lot with their families and their past, but also finding themselves, growing together and friends becoming a found family. I really loved their story, and also the depth of the characters, the way they speak about their trauma, facing it and finding their own voice. Also loved the humour, the sweet hot spice and their overall chemistry. I'm also very happy that we get both their povs and that it's very well balanced.
Willa Jaymes really made Jo's character come to life, with humour and every feeling. Also other characters voices with accents and different ages. Ryan Lee Dunlap with his deep voice made Nico's character come to life, his personality and feelings. Also other characters in different ages and titles.
I got this audiobook for free as I'm an ARC reader, and I'm leaving this honest review voluntarily.
A mix of heartwarming sweetness, love, stress, trauma and characters finding themselves. The story made me laugh, gasp and cry. Both Jo and Nico going through a lot with their families and their past, but also finding themselves, growing together and friends becoming a found family. I really loved their story, and also the depth of the characters, the way they speak about their trauma, facing it and finding their own voice. Also loved the humour, the sweet hot spice and their overall chemistry. I'm also very happy that we get both their povs and that it's very well balanced.
Willa Jaymes really made Jo's character come to life, with humour and every feeling. Also other characters voices with accents and different ages. Ryan Lee Dunlap with his deep voice made Nico's character come to life, his personality and feelings. Also other characters in different ages and titles.
I got this audiobook for free as I'm an ARC reader, and I'm leaving this honest review voluntarily.
May 25, 2026
Nico (25) & Jo (25). A low-rank hockey player and a photographer that a random event brings together and decide to pretend being a couple due to various reasons.
He is a happy-go-lucky guy that flirts with every female that crosses his path but who is very loyal when he commits. In fact, he was too good to be true, I couldn’t find anything wrong with him, only that he was too happy all the time. She is an introvert with no self-esteem.
I found their relationship a bit awkward and forced tbh, without real chemistry. And I found the ending rather confusing.
It is a well written book but I don’t think the MCs are memorable.
-Dual 1st person POV
-Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Overall: 3.5/5 ⭐️ for me.
I received an Adv. Readers version of this book and I have given this honest and voluntary review.
He is a happy-go-lucky guy that flirts with every female that crosses his path but who is very loyal when he commits. In fact, he was too good to be true, I couldn’t find anything wrong with him, only that he was too happy all the time. She is an introvert with no self-esteem.
I found their relationship a bit awkward and forced tbh, without real chemistry. And I found the ending rather confusing.
It is a well written book but I don’t think the MCs are memorable.
-Dual 1st person POV
-Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Overall: 3.5/5 ⭐️ for me.
I received an Adv. Readers version of this book and I have given this honest and voluntary review.
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July 15, 2026“ So, the point is, I choose you. Fate did me a solid, but I will always choose you. Every day, I choose you.”
This book is not one for me. It started out with crude language, and that can be a turn-off. I don’t mind some cursing or language, but it was a big part of this story, and it is not something I enjoy reading consistently.
Other than that, I thought the premise was cute, Nico is a total sweetheart despite his reputation, and Jo needs a boost to her ego that only Nico can give her.
I love a fake dating/ engagement trope, and this is a story that did it right! Obviously, they fall for each other, and there is a major argument in the third act, but they prove to each other and everyone else that they really do have what it takes to go the long haul.
This book is not one for me. It started out with crude language, and that can be a turn-off. I don’t mind some cursing or language, but it was a big part of this story, and it is not something I enjoy reading consistently.
Other than that, I thought the premise was cute, Nico is a total sweetheart despite his reputation, and Jo needs a boost to her ego that only Nico can give her.
I love a fake dating/ engagement trope, and this is a story that did it right! Obviously, they fall for each other, and there is a major argument in the third act, but they prove to each other and everyone else that they really do have what it takes to go the long haul.
July 29, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🎧📖𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖🎧
𝐸𝓁𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 ʙʏ sᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅʀᴇᴡs
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🌶🌶 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ + ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ sᴛᴀʀ + ᴏɴᴇ ʀɪᴅɪᴄᴜʟᴏᴜsʟʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄ = ᴀ ʀᴇᴄɪᴘᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀʏ ᴇᴅɪᴛɪɴɢ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴄᴏ-ᴏᴘ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
ᴛᴡᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴅs: ɴɪᴄᴏ ᴛʀᴇᴍʙʟᴀʏ.
ᴏᴋᴀʏ, ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴀɴ ɪs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs sᴡᴇᴇᴛ, ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀᴛᴇ, sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴠᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴊᴏsᴇᴘʜɪɴᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ɪ ᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ sᴇᴛᴜᴘ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ᴜs ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇs ғᴏʀ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ “ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ” ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʟᴏᴡʟʏ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ.
ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ? ᴀ𝟷. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴜɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ɢᴇɴᴜɪɴᴇʟʏ ʟᴀᴜɢʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ʜᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇғғᴏʀᴛʟᴇss, ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ʀɪᴅɪᴄᴜʟᴏᴜsʟʏ ᴇᴀsʏ ᴛᴏ ʙɪɴɢᴇ.
ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ ᴛᴏᴏ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜsʟʏ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏғ sᴡᴏᴏɴ, ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇᴇʟ-ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ sᴛɪʟʟ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴅᴇᴘᴛʜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ sᴀᴛɪsғʏɪɴɢ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ғɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅɪᴄ ᴛɪᴍɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ʟᴀɴᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ’s ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ—ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
🏒 ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
💍 ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ
💕 ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ → ʀᴇᴀʟ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs
💛 ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄ
❤️ ʜᴇ ғᴀʟʟs ғɪʀsᴛ
🔥 ᴏᴘᴇɴ-ᴅᴏᴏʀ sᴘɪᴄᴇ
😂 ᴛᴏᴘ-ᴛɪᴇʀ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ
✨ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
🎓 ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘᴏʀᴀʀʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🥹 ғᴇᴇʟ-ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🎧 ᴅᴜᴀʟ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
𝐸𝓁𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 ᴡᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ғᴜɴ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ! ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴠᴘs. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ’s ʟɪɢʜᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ, sᴡᴏᴏɴʏ, ғᴜɴɴʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ, ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʙʀ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
🎧📖𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖🎧
𝐸𝓁𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 ʙʏ sᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅʀᴇᴡs
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🌶🌶 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ + ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ sᴛᴀʀ + ᴏɴᴇ ʀɪᴅɪᴄᴜʟᴏᴜsʟʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄ = ᴀ ʀᴇᴄɪᴘᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀʏ ᴇᴅɪᴛɪɴɢ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴄᴏ-ᴏᴘ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
ᴛᴡᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴅs: ɴɪᴄᴏ ᴛʀᴇᴍʙʟᴀʏ.
ᴏᴋᴀʏ, ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴀɴ ɪs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs sᴡᴇᴇᴛ, ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀᴛᴇ, sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴠᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴊᴏsᴇᴘʜɪɴᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ɪ ᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ sᴇᴛᴜᴘ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ᴜs ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇs ғᴏʀ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ “ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ” ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʟᴏᴡʟʏ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟ.
ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ? ᴀ𝟷. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴜɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ɢᴇɴᴜɪɴᴇʟʏ ʟᴀᴜɢʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ʜᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇғғᴏʀᴛʟᴇss, ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ʀɪᴅɪᴄᴜʟᴏᴜsʟʏ ᴇᴀsʏ ᴛᴏ ʙɪɴɢᴇ.
ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ ᴛᴏᴏ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜsʟʏ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏғ sᴡᴏᴏɴ, ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇᴇʟ-ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ sᴛɪʟʟ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴅᴇᴘᴛʜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ sᴀᴛɪsғʏɪɴɢ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ғɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅɪᴄ ᴛɪᴍɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ʟᴀɴᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ’s ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ—ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
🏒 ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
💍 ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ
💕 ғᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ → ʀᴇᴀʟ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs
💛 ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄ
❤️ ʜᴇ ғᴀʟʟs ғɪʀsᴛ
🔥 ᴏᴘᴇɴ-ᴅᴏᴏʀ sᴘɪᴄᴇ
😂 ᴛᴏᴘ-ᴛɪᴇʀ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ
✨ ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
🎓 ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘᴏʀᴀʀʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🥹 ғᴇᴇʟ-ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🎧 ᴅᴜᴀʟ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
𝐸𝓁𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 ᴡᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ғᴜɴ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ! ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴍᴄ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴠᴘs. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴀ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ’s ʟɪɢʜᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ, sᴡᴏᴏɴʏ, ғᴜɴɴʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ, ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʙʀ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
July 31, 2026
Elite Player: A Fake Engagement Hockey Romance by Sophie Andrews is somehow equally adorable and spicy!
Nico’s promiscuous reputation is hanging by a thread, and he’s afraid that head office will trade him if he doesn’t clean up his act.
After accidentally injuring the team’s assistant photographer during practice, Nico visits Josephine in the hospital and finds her surrounded by her family. When they assume he’s her fiancé, Nico surprises Josephine by willingly playing along.
The characters grow in complexity throughout the story. The plot is brilliant and keeps you coming back for more (no pun intended). It’s the perfect blend of humour, fairy-tale romance, and spice! I’m OBSESSED with the ending!
Nico’s promiscuous reputation is hanging by a thread, and he’s afraid that head office will trade him if he doesn’t clean up his act.
After accidentally injuring the team’s assistant photographer during practice, Nico visits Josephine in the hospital and finds her surrounded by her family. When they assume he’s her fiancé, Nico surprises Josephine by willingly playing along.
The characters grow in complexity throughout the story. The plot is brilliant and keeps you coming back for more (no pun intended). It’s the perfect blend of humour, fairy-tale romance, and spice! I’m OBSESSED with the ending!
June 19, 2026
book review | 4.5⭐️ 2🌶️
🏒📸💙
this is my first book by sophie andrews and it did not disappoint 👏🏽 it was so stinkin good and had me going through all the emotions
jo absolutely did not deserve how she was treated by her family and the way they made her see herself broke my heart. nico was also going through his own stuff that he kept to himself and when he open up to jo my heart broke for him 🥺
nico was EVERYTHING that jo needed in her life even though it took some time for her to truly believe that she deserved him. and my guy kept showin up and showin out for her to realize that he wanted her…loved them!!!
٠࣪⭑ what to expect ٠࣪⭑
🏒 hockey romance
💍 fake engagement
🐈⬛ black cat x golden retriever
💋 reformed playboy
🍒 v!rg!n fmc
🦆 ugly duckling
🏒📸💙
this is my first book by sophie andrews and it did not disappoint 👏🏽 it was so stinkin good and had me going through all the emotions
jo absolutely did not deserve how she was treated by her family and the way they made her see herself broke my heart. nico was also going through his own stuff that he kept to himself and when he open up to jo my heart broke for him 🥺
nico was EVERYTHING that jo needed in her life even though it took some time for her to truly believe that she deserved him. and my guy kept showin up and showin out for her to realize that he wanted her…loved them!!!
٠࣪⭑ what to expect ٠࣪⭑
🏒 hockey romance
💍 fake engagement
🐈⬛ black cat x golden retriever
💋 reformed playboy
🍒 v!rg!n fmc
🦆 ugly duckling
July 19, 2026
From rogue hockey puck victim to fiancé, Jojo is on the outside looking in at her own life just trying to survive. Her family is a DISASTER and truly the worst. Like you will be screaming and cussing at your book bad. If you constantly feel like an outsider and an inconvenience, this one is going to hit HARD.
The story is almost fated mates, but make it hockey romance. When Nico visits Jojo in the hospital after hitting her in the head with a puck, he is immediately thrown into her dysfunctional family dynamic and despite that he has been THE PLAYBOY about to get traded for his off ice activity, he turns on the charm and is immediately the mister right she needs to get her family off her back. He has no obligation to take care of Jojo, but he just cannot seem to help himself—which includes being her fake boyfriend.
From fake dates to falling for each other, I absolutely loved that this was different from most hockey romances in that she was the team admin rather than an athletic trainer. And normally there instant love is a no go for me, but their instant connection has my heart.
Lastly, prepare yourself for the spice. This one is SPICYYYYY but not cringy 🥵🥵🥵
TROPES
🦮Golden Retriever
🐈⬛ Black Cat
👩❤️👨Fake Dating
💻Workplace
🏒Hockey Romance
🍆Playboy
🍑Virgin FMC
🧲Opposites Attract
Thank you Net Galley for giving me the chance to listen and review this one!!!
The story is almost fated mates, but make it hockey romance. When Nico visits Jojo in the hospital after hitting her in the head with a puck, he is immediately thrown into her dysfunctional family dynamic and despite that he has been THE PLAYBOY about to get traded for his off ice activity, he turns on the charm and is immediately the mister right she needs to get her family off her back. He has no obligation to take care of Jojo, but he just cannot seem to help himself—which includes being her fake boyfriend.
From fake dates to falling for each other, I absolutely loved that this was different from most hockey romances in that she was the team admin rather than an athletic trainer. And normally there instant love is a no go for me, but their instant connection has my heart.
Lastly, prepare yourself for the spice. This one is SPICYYYYY but not cringy 🥵🥵🥵
TROPES
🦮Golden Retriever
🐈⬛ Black Cat
👩❤️👨Fake Dating
💻Workplace
🏒Hockey Romance
🍆Playboy
🍑Virgin FMC
🧲Opposites Attract
Thank you Net Galley for giving me the chance to listen and review this one!!!
July 23, 2026
Audiobook read/ALC
Overall: 3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨💫
Plot: 3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨💫
Characters: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Ending: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Narration: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (duet)
Super cute sports rom-com that has enough spice to cause a little blush. Jo and Nico had some great chemistry. Side characters were funny and a great example of found family. Duet narration really brought this story to life making it an easy listen. Heavy, traumatic topics mentioned, so check those TWs.
Overall, a great listen. Thanks Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ALC.
Overall: 3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨💫
Plot: 3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨💫
Characters: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Ending: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Narration: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (duet)
Super cute sports rom-com that has enough spice to cause a little blush. Jo and Nico had some great chemistry. Side characters were funny and a great example of found family. Duet narration really brought this story to life making it an easy listen. Heavy, traumatic topics mentioned, so check those TWs.
Overall, a great listen. Thanks Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ALC.
July 7, 2026
Sophie Andrews did it again! She writes characters with such heart, and Nico and Josephine are no exception. Nico is a true golden retriever and he just wants to take care of Josephine. Josephine has so many layers and so many walls but truly just wants to be chosen and loved. Andrews writes emotional depth and longing and love so damn well! Her characters are so real and honest and good. Loved this book!!
June 5, 2026
I devoured this book!! Nico and Jo couldn't be more opposite, but they work in the best ways!
Fake engagement
Opposites attract
Golden retriever x black cat
Hockey romance
Nico is on thin ice with his team; he needs to change his philandering ways or he's at risk to get traded. And when he actually shoots a puck right into Jo's face; he gets more than he bargained for when he goes to visit her in the hospital.
Jo is the outcast of her family and they make it known. The ridicule and bullying that they did literally made me sick to my stomach. I hated that so much for her!
Nico is the happy go lucky one and Jo is not. On paper, these two shouldn't work, but they balance one another out in the best ways.
I really loved this read and these characters! Hated Jo's entire family though!!
Fake engagement
Opposites attract
Golden retriever x black cat
Hockey romance
Nico is on thin ice with his team; he needs to change his philandering ways or he's at risk to get traded. And when he actually shoots a puck right into Jo's face; he gets more than he bargained for when he goes to visit her in the hospital.
Jo is the outcast of her family and they make it known. The ridicule and bullying that they did literally made me sick to my stomach. I hated that so much for her!
Nico is the happy go lucky one and Jo is not. On paper, these two shouldn't work, but they balance one another out in the best ways.
I really loved this read and these characters! Hated Jo's entire family though!!
August 19, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook.
I’m always a fan of the fake dating trope and this one lived up to my expectations. But the whole “reformed rake” only works for me if the love interest has something special or different that breaks this cycle And I didn’t think that was the case here - on the contrary, the FMC’s low self esteem and self worth made it hard for me to see why the MMC would fall for her as hard and fast as he did.
The book was spicier than I expected and the smutty scenes were good.
Loved the dual narration and both narrators were good, especially the one doing the MMC’s part.
I’m always a fan of the fake dating trope and this one lived up to my expectations. But the whole “reformed rake” only works for me if the love interest has something special or different that breaks this cycle And I didn’t think that was the case here - on the contrary, the FMC’s low self esteem and self worth made it hard for me to see why the MMC would fall for her as hard and fast as he did.
The book was spicier than I expected and the smutty scenes were good.
Loved the dual narration and both narrators were good, especially the one doing the MMC’s part.
September 7, 2026
I really wanted to like this book and it got off to such a good start, but by the time I reached about 70% through I was so bored that I just couldn’t keep going.
Maybe I’ll finish it at some point, but not right now.
The narrators were great and kept me listening past where I should have stopped.
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC
Maybe I’ll finish it at some point, but not right now.
The narrators were great and kept me listening past where I should have stopped.
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC
July 3, 2026
super swoonnyyyy ;PP
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