Fake Dating the Off-Limits Goalie: A Brother's Best Friend Sweet Romance

by Andrea Ocean

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2026

Reviews

[Colie Ellingson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fake Dating the Off Limits Goalie was a cute, quick read with characters I really enjoyed! I especially loved the chemistry between them and the connection they shared.

That said, I struggled a bit with the reason behind the fake dating arrangement—it didn’t fully make sense to me. I also felt like their relationship progressed pretty quickly, especially considering the years of distance and silence between them. I would have loved a little more time spent rebuilding that connection and letting their relationship develop.

Overall, though, it was an easy, fun read with characters I genuinely liked. 💕

[Cindy Burrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with these characters and the story plot from the first page until the ending. If you like drama, a past you cannot outrun, family who does not trust you, and a past that comes back for you to ignore or make choices…then you are going to love this book.
Nate, our leading male character is a hockey player. Now, I love sports, but I have never been to a hockey game, but I do love books about hockey players. Now, I am no athlete, but I do love sports and kept statistics for our girls’ basketball team from the time I was in seventh grade through college. I have watched hockey matches on television, but we all know that in person it is way better than watching them on television. Nate is upset because they are behind, his teammates do not seem to be doing their job, and many fans are already leaving. As he is walking through the tunnel, a reporter is waiting for him, “Nate, tough night in the crease. Can you walk us through that last goal?” Now, Nate knows what his response should be, but the adrenaline is flowing and so is his attitude. “You want me to walk you through it? Fine. My defense hung me out to dry, the refs swallowed their whistles, and I am the one who gets blamed because that is how it works when you are the last line.” She asks him, “Are you saying your team let you down tonight? I am saying I am tired of being the scapegoat for a system that doesn’t work.” He continues to let his feelings fly. “Maybe if management spent less time worrying about ticket sales and more time building a defense that can clear a crease, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He feels himself being pulled back and turns to see his coach. While he is busy showering, his phone is lit up with the clip on every social media showing the clip. As if that is not bad enough, his phone is loaded with texts from teammates and a voicemail from his mom. Mom is not happy at all. His agent calls to inform him that he is going on “The Apology Tour.” He is sending him home to rebuild his image. “You go home, you do some community outreach, you keep your head down and rebuild your image.” Just to let you know a little more about Nate, his reply is “I do not need an apology tour. I need to play.” His coach informs him that he is out for the rest of the season. He needs to spend time doing “youth clinics, smile for the cameras, and prove you’re not the guy who trashes his team on live TV.”
Nate reluctantly heads home to Orchard Falls. Now, his family still lives there and so does the girl he left behind, Maren. Maren also owns and operates the only hockey rink in town. She was quite surprised when Nate left and never looked back. I do not want to reveal too much about this story and ruin all the things that happen. Will Nate be welcomed back home by his family? Will they give him “tough love”? Will Maren be willing to let him use her hockey rink? What type of community service is he willing to actually do that will make his coach happy and have the fans willing to support his possible return? To find out the answers to these questions and more, get your copy of Fake Dating the Off-Limits Goals by Andrea Ocean today. You will not regret it!

[Mary Ann Speel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading another romance where the H is a goalie on a professional hockey team. The h managed the local ice rink in their small town. The H is known for getting into trouble, losing his temper, especially in saying things to the press when he was angry over how the game went. He is sent home to get his act together or end his career. At home the only ice he can use is the rink managed by the h. She says no due to their past history. He doesn’t know what to do. Then one of his sponsors offers funds for the rinks programs if the h will work with the H. The h suggests that they be a fake couple and the H agrees. Thus they move forward on the programs that the h has put together. All is going well until they are found out to be faking their relationship, and then they are faced with possible loss of their sponsorship. The H steps up and puts on a successful fund raiser that raises enough money to keep the programs running for a while. In the end they get their HEA and the H is able to return to his professional hockey career with the h going with him. Hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did. It is a nice Hallmark story. Enjoy.

[Priscilla Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a feel-good romance about redemption, second chances, succeeding against all odds, and love that lasts. I enjoyed this book and the feelings I was left with once I finished. The characters, plot, and romance have all the makings of an excellent story. It just felt a little unfinished. Too fast to really flesh out. It felt like the jump from "ok we have to work together" and "I have an idea, lets fake a relationship" happened out of nowhere. But as I said, I did enjoy this book. I especially liked the characters and the chemistry between the FMC and the MMC. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, light read that will leave you hopeful and with just a little bit more faith in humanity than you had at the start.

A big thank you to the author for sending me the ARC to review.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake Dating the Off-Limits Goalie by Andrea Ocean was such a fun, sweet romance! I love a good brother’s-best-friend trope, and adding a fake-dating setup with a swoony hockey goalie made this one especially enjoyable. The chemistry between the characters was fantastic, and I loved watching their pretend relationship slowly turn into something real. There were plenty of cute, heartwarming moments along with enough emotional tension to keep me turning the pages. The hero was protective and charming, while the heroine was easy to root for. Andrea Ocean delivers a lighthearted, feel-good romance with great chemistry and a satisfying happily-ever-after. Overall, Fake Dating the Off-Limits Goalie was a cute, entertaining read that left me smiling.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Nate finds himself in hot water with his NHL career on the line, he returns to his small hometown looking for a reset\. The one person he needs help from is his teenage love, Maren\. She runs the only skating rink in town and isn’t about to forgive and forget how he left her ten years ago\.

A mutually beneficial arrangement soon has them fake dating and facing their past head\-on\. Nate is determined to prove he wants to be a better person and earn Maren’s trust, while Maren needs his help but isn’t sure he’s a risk worth taking\.

I really enjoyed this sweet second\-chance romance\. It was an easy, enjoyable read with plenty of heart, and I loved watching Nate and Maren find their way back to each other\.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[De Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me so flushed that I don’t know how the ice didn’t melt. It’s such a feel good read. We got one of the best redemption arcs I have read in this book. This story had me all in my feelings and I loved every second of it. Nate and Maren were incredible together and I truly enjoyed reading their story. Everything about this book had me swooning and blushing. Watching things grow and develop between these two made cheering for them to find happiness even easier. I wanted nothing more than the best for Nate and Maren, no matter what it would look like. I was turning page after page in an attempt to see what would happen even faster. I just needed it to go how I wanted. And the ending we got left me fully satisfied and happy.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A goalie who looses his temper gets taken off the roster and is told to go home an work on his attitude basically. He returns to his hometown to find his ex runs the local rink. She won't let him have rink time.
A story of bitterness of past actions when they were 18 years old. Of selfish decisions. Of a fluke accident. Of resentment and distrust.
I applaud the tenacity, the sheer determination, and the creativity to face the rink's problems and find answers.
I liked the characters even though I didn't feel like I really knew them.
What disappointed me was the pacing. Everything seems like a rushed and vague idea that was tossed out and never carefully planned.

[Brianda R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advanced reader copy received from author.

This was such a fast-paced second-chance romance! The MMC and FMC were inseparable in high school until he walked away when life became too much, leaving her hurt and resentful—especially after he ignored her when she needed him most.

Years later, he’s changed completely. After a breakdown forces him to reevaluate his life, he reconnects with her. She wants nothing to do with him at first, but instead of just apologizing, he consistently shows through his actions that he’s no longer the person who abandoned her.

I wish the book had more details and that it wasn't so much fast track. Overall it's a good read.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. This was such a great romance. He is an NHL player in desperate need of an image overhaul after a disastrous melt down. The only one who can help him is the girl he left after high school. Can she forgive him for their past and help him or will she refuse and force him t9 figure out another option to save his career? What an incredible story of growth and forgiveness. Loved it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet second chance story. I could feel the tension between Maren and Nate from the moment they were in the same room. The unresolved hurt from the past was definitely still in play and it was nice to see these two work through that and grow from it. I loved watching them support and encourage one another as they fought for their dreams. What a great shorter read for an evening of romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathrine Bak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Andrea Ocean for the ARC of Fake Dating the Off-Limits Goalie.

It was a short and sweet read, and overall, I enjoyed it. However, their reasoning for having to fake date didn't make sense to me. It felt like an unnecessary complication in their quests to save her skating rink and his reputation.

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in a way that it could be read as a standalone .Some of the characters and storyline overlaps. Reading in order Recommended.
Second chance
Enemies to more
Forbidden romance
Brother's best friend
Fake relationship.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick hockey rom com.
A compelling story, but one that felt a bit rushed. The characters were all lined up to fall in love with, but we never know them enough to truly fall in love.
However, if what you’re looking for is a quick hockey adjacent Rom com, this is the story for you!

[DEBBIE GG · Rating 5 out of 5]

this story was full of fun, second chances , and getting over young love. there is a lot of chemistry between our main characters. i loved this plot with anger issues. and all the second characters were well written.
i enjoyed this story very much

[Del Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

read advance copy from author

Cute simple read. Was a quick read 133 pages. Had a cute story. Personally I Love the faking dating/brothers best friend troupe. Had Good story telling. Enjoyed that he had a daughter and brought her along.

[Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read and while not a lot of drama, brings self reflection into the forefront. Recognizing the importance of acknowledging our own mistakes and that there is always room to grow from them.

[Ashley Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A PR stunt never works out the way it’s supposed to! This is a great single dad, hockey romance. He has a temper that he lets get in his own way. Love it when they finally figure it out.