Breakaway: Brother's Best Friend Hockey Romance

Mavericks Hockey

by Laura Marquez Diamond

Breakaway is a slow-burn brother’s-best-friend hockey romance with a childhood crush, a wounded hero learning to ask for help, and a heroine who knows exactly what she’s worth. Perfect for fans of Liz Tomforde, Lauren Blakely and Tessa Bailey.

I’m six teaspoons of Nutella deep into a very bad day when the man I’ve been crushing on since high school skates back into my life.

Lance Jefferson is a Stanley Cup-winning hockey superstar and my brother’s best friend. He’s off-limits with a capital O. He’s also never looked at me as anything more than “Little Cassie.” But when my cheating ex struggles with the word “leave,” Lance steps in as my personal ex-terminator. Suddenly, Lance goes from indifferent to possessive, like I’m a woman he wants for himself.

I should keep my distance. Falling for him is a spectacularly bad idea. It could blow up his friendship with my brother, scandalize my very opinionated family, and derail the business I’ve finally been brave enough to start.

But when he’s standing in front of me, shirtless in the snow, suddenly the rules feel very, very breakable…



Brother’s best friendSports romanceCurvy FMCMixed race MMCChildhood crushFound familyHero in therapyFamily traumaProtective heroDual POV
Readers love the Mavericks Hockey

“Cassie girllllllllllllll you living the dream… I loved this book, I devoured it in one day… I even put off my responsibilities because I couldn’t help but finish the book. So FREAKING GOOD. I now have to work twice as hard tomorrow to make up, totally worth it!” Reader review, 5 stars

“Great storyline with so much emotion and all the feels with a sexy hockey god, and the equally sexy object of his adoring affection. They try to fight their attraction… as you can already guess, that lasted about a hot ass second. These two had so much heat and chemistry, gosh maybe they ruined me for all other couples too *winks*.” Reader review, 5 stars

“Oh my god, this book is absolutely the best. The spunk of Cassie and the magnetic pull of sexy Lance is so fun to read. I couldn’t put this book down I was enjoying it so much!” Reader review, 5 stars

“What a ride! Lance and Cassie had me on the edge of my seat. And I was pulled along by both of their journeys to where they needed to be. Can’t go past a wounded man and Lance was a sexy one at that! Cassie was a straight-shooting girl who learned to go after what she wanted, I loved her growth through this book!! And that ending? Just amazing!! Highly recommend this book for anyone wanting a spicy and heartwarming romance read!!” Reader review, 5 stars

“I loved this book, the story was so well written that it had me feeling all sorts of emotions! The sexual tension between Cassie & Lance was oozing off the page and the spice was hot! Highly recommend!” Reader review, 5 stars

“Wow. Loved reading this book and couldn’t put it down.

Genres: Sports, Sports Romance, Hockey, Romance, Hockey Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2026

About the author

Laura writes romances featuring women who slay their own dragons and the men who love them fiercely. In her books, the fall is hard, the steam is blinding, the groveling is glorious, and the passion all-consuming.

For updates on works in progress and to connect with Laura and other readers, join the Facebook group Romancing With Laura. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok @romancinglauramd. She loves hearing from readers!

Reviews

[Laura Diamond]

I won't be rating my own book but I want to use this space to say THANK YOU to all who have read and reviewed Breakaway which is Book 1 of the Mavericks Hockey Series.

As an author, sending a book out into the world can be a little terrifying, and knowing that readers took the time to read my story and share their thoughts is an incredible gift.

Whether you were one of my early readers, a reviewer, a longtime reader, or someone discovering my books for the first time, I’m so grateful you’re here. XOXO, Laura

[kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Breakaway by Laura Marquez Diamond - ★★★★☆
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: 28 September 2026

“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑾𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” ⋆｡♡˚

This was such a fun, enjoyable Ice Hockey romance with fantastic chemistry and a great amount of spice! I loved our MMC and watching him grow and develop alongside our FMC who never backed down. It was refreshing to see an FMC who doesn’t cave in when a man wants something, she stood her ground throughout the entire read!

The story was also heartwarming and touching, Lance, our MMC, has been through a lot and we get to see him grow and come to terms with his past on page which I thought was lovely! I loved how the author touched on therapy and working through his past trauma. What a wonderful ending too! 🤭

“𝑴𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐, 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒆. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” ₊˚⊹ᰔ

Overall I’d 100% recommend this to anybody looking for a fun, ice hockey romance with a relationship that was easy to support!

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆. ⋆˙⟡

I would 100% recommend checking trigger warnings before jumping into this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC copy of this wonderful read!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵: 🏒🏡❤️‍🩹✏️
𖥠 Sports Romance
𖥠 Brothers Best Friend
𖥠 Childhood Crush
𖥠 Dual POV
𖥠 Protective MMC

[Laura Black Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lance Jefferson and Cassie Atwood are childhood friends who reconnect when Lance moves back to Cincinatti to join the Mavericks hockey team.

Cassie has just left her safe job to start her own papercraft business. She’s the baby of her family and while they all love her, there’s a bit too much ‘Little Cassie’ from her parents and her big brothers. Lance spent much of his childhood in their home, and Cassie spent that time crushing on him. Now she’s 24, and doing her own thing, but her family are still underestimating her.

Lance has a bunch of childhood trauma behind him that Cassie is unaware of and it distorts his behaviour and his thinking. He has never had a girlfriend, and he makes a mess of things by communicating too little and assuming too much. Cassie is patient – up to a point – but she has her own insecurities as well. They both have a lot of work to do to find each other, and between Cassie’s new business and Lance’s past, it’s a long haul.

I’m torn about Breakaway – I really liked both Cassie and Lance, and the conflict between them felt authentic. However, I struggled with the dirty talk and how their emotions transitioned super quickly to arousal at the strangest times. These mood shifts were so jarring that sometimes I double checked that I hadn’t mistaken the emotional jumps. But otherwise, these are two young people who look out for each other and work hard to be together at times when their careers pull them apart.

Thank you Laura Marquez Diamond and Storm Publishing for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

[ioIe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I was lured in by the cute cover and the promise of a MMC who goes to therapy (more of them, please!!!), but I’m not a huge fan of the brother’s-best-friend trope (I genuinely don’t understand what’s so dramatic about that lol). In the end, I had a decent time and I do recommend this book to whoever doesn’t mind (a lot of) terrible communication and a fast burn.

In fact, there are a lot of things I quite enjoyed:
- a strong FMC who stands her ground and quits her job to focus on her small business (of stationary and crafts!)
- a protective MMC who supports her when no one else does and is actually a big softie even though he acts all tough
- diverse characters and nuanced family dynamics with mental health talk
- short chapters and an easy writing that makes you fly through the story

I also liked Cassie and Lance…. just not together.

For two childhood friends, these two barely know one another. It’s frustrating how, for most of the book, they can never finish ONE single conversation and get to know the actual reason behind the other person’s reactions without jumping to (often improbable) conclusions. The way they talk to each other was very unnerving to me.

And I get that this is a steamy story, but I felt like the steam always came too early and suddenly to be enjoyable to read. The mood switch in certain scenes was very abrupt and off-putting.

Still, I don’t think this is a bad book - it’s also quite original despite the familiar tropes. I just lost interest halfway through the story for how bad their communication was. But I hope it’ll find readers who appreciate it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for offering me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Leigh The Spoonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book! This had me gripped right from the start, I couldn't put it down and read the bulk of it in one day finishing the rest the next morning.
This was my first hockey romance so I wasn't sure if I'd like it but it was so well written.
I loved Lance (MMC) he came with a lot of baggage and he knew it and was determined he could never be with Cassie (FMC) or he'd risk hurting her. Cassie had been crazy about him since childhood and was willing to accept him baggage and all. I loved the will they won't they while they figured it out.
Some excellent secondary characters too, the author had a way of describing them that made me feel like I knew them really well despite limited page time.
Overall great story, great characters and some fantastic spicy scenes.

[Anoesjka Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so enjoying this series of hot hockey players from the Columbus Mavericks as they find their women! This one is about Lance and Cassie. They grew up together, as Lance was her brothers best friend, who lived with them for years, due to his unfortunate upbringing. When things finally come to a head, Cassie and Lance need to get over a lot of issues, and they fight tooth and nail to get there. I loved how Lance could 'see' Cassie for what and who she was, even though even her family couldn't. I loved how possessive and caveman he became, and I loved how Cassie overcame her emotional fears to take what she wanted from him. Another great read!

[BK Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Laura and the team at Storm for the opportunity to read this book.

I was immediately invested in this book when we introduced to Cassie, a plus size fmc who isn't insecure in herself and her body. We love to see it.

I enjoyed Lance however his emotions were a little bit all over the place and if often felt like we were on a rollercoaster. I was happy to see the therapy started working.

I really enjoyed the friends to lover aspect of this book as well as the brother best friend trope. I feel like they were both portrayed really well.

It is marketed as a slow burn but they're intimate at 18% so that to me is the opposite of slow! The spice itself was super flirty and fun with a little bit of filthy.

[Rachel · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
If you love a sport romance, with a slow burn and all the tension and spark, this would be for you! I really enjoyed Breakaway and the romance between Cassie and Lance. The tension, the burn was fun to read. I love the dual POV and we got to see both the FMC and MMC POV.

If you want to read a romance with; a brothers best friend, childhood crush and found family, this books for you and I’d highly recommend it! As soon as I finished it, I went looking for the next book!

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for this ARC.

[April Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassie Atwood is a smart, talented and loving woman but who feels not seen as an adult by her loving overprotective family. Lance is an NHL hockey player and the childhood best friend of Cassie's brother. Lance is now back in Ohio to play for the Columbus team; can Cassie finally capture the heart of her childhood crush?

Lance had a traumatic childhood but credits hockey and being taken in by his best friends' family for his current success. Cassie was his friend's little sister and at 24, still feels like everyone treats her like the "little sister." She doesn't feel seen and not as successful as her two older brothers. Cassie has had feelings for Lancee as long as she has known him. Now that he is back home, can he see her as an adult and return her feelings?

I loved Cassie and Lance, although I admit to wanting to shake them both several times in this story. They need to talk to each other and get out of their own way. The story deals with some real-life issues and childhood trauma. I also loved and appreciated the epilogues to the story. I think they are some of my favorite parts. This story also has a lot of spice.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this story and give my opinion.

[Alaysia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! This homey romance has all the feels and is wonderfully written. You will laugh, throw your phone and cry. It's so good! Our FMC has the biggest heart and our MMC has a past that will break your heart but together these two put all back together! So good.

[Page Escapes by J · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something ridiculously satisfying about a brother’s best friend romance when the childhood crush is still very much alive. Add hockey, forced proximity, family drama and a hero with enough emotional baggage to fill an entire equipment bag, and you have Breakaway.

Cassie has been crushing on Lance since high school, but to him she’s always been his best friend’s little sister—the person he’s supposed to protect, not fall for. Except Cassie isn’t that girl anymore. She’s grown into a woman with her own business, her own ambitions and a much clearer idea of what she deserves.

I really liked Cassie as a heroine. She isn’t waiting around for Lance to give her a life. She’s already building one. Her stationery business gives her an identity outside the romance, and I appreciated that her confidence develops alongside the relationship rather than disappearing once Lance enters the picture. She knows what she wants, and while she has insecurities, she doesn’t allow them to define her.

Then there’s Lance. On the surface, he’s the classic successful hockey hero—Stanley Cup winner, gorgeous, confident and seemingly untouchable. But underneath all of that is someone carrying a lot of unresolved childhood trauma and a pretty deep belief that he’s somehow damaged or unworthy of the kind of life Cassie could have.

That was probably my favourite part of his characterisation.

His reluctance isn’t simply “I can’t date my best friend’s sister because bro code.” There is a much deeper emotional reason behind his resistance. His relationship with Cassie’s family is also important because they gave him something he desperately needed growing up. That makes his feelings for Cassie complicated by loyalty, gratitude and fear of losing the family that became his safe place.

And I liked that Cassie doesn’t “fix” him. She supports him, challenges his negative perception of himself and gives him a safe place to be vulnerable, but Lance ultimately has to confront his own past and decide that he’s worthy of something beyond survival.

The romance itself is chemistry-heavy and properly steamy. The transition from childhood crush to adult attraction is handled well, and I enjoyed watching Lance’s carefully maintained boundaries gradually crumble. 😂 Their attraction is obvious, but there is also genuine emotional tenderness underneath it.

The dual POV works particularly well here because Lance and Cassie are coming into the relationship with very different assumptions. We get to see Cassie’s long-standing crush while also understanding exactly why Lance has spent so long trying not to act on his feelings.

I also enjoyed the family dynamic. Cassie’s family isn’t just decorative background, and Lance’s connection to them gives the brother’s-best-friend trope some additional weight. The secondary characters are memorable enough to make the world feel populated without completely taking over the story.

As for the hockey element, this is more romance-forward than sports-heavy. The hockey gives Lance’s character and lifestyle context, but the story is primarily concerned with the relationship and the emotional obstacles surrounding it. That worked for me because you don’t need to understand hockey to follow the story.

The pacing is generally easy and engaging. There is plenty of banter, tension and relationship development to keep things moving, although the third-act conflict did feel somewhat more familiar than the emotional groundwork that came before it. A few other readers have mentioned this as well.

Overall, Breakaway gave me what I want from a hockey romance: great chemistry, a genuinely wounded hero, a heroine with her own backbone, plenty of steam and a satisfying emotional payoff.

It’s tropey, absolutely—but it knows exactly what kind of romance it wants to be, and it delivers.

[Lory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hockey romance with childhood friends, emotional healing, and a love that refuses to give up. 🏒❤️

I am so enjoying this series about the hot hockey players of the Columbus Mavericks as they find their women, and Breakaway is another fantastic addition! This time, we get Lance and Cassie’s story and these two have history.

Lance and Cassie grew up together, with Lance being her brother’s best friend and eventually living with her family because of his difficult childhood. And wow… Lance’s angst and pain were palpable. He carries so much from his past, and watching him slowly confront it, work through it, and learn to be kinder to himself was one of my favorite parts of the story.

I absolutely loved the will they won’t they tension as these two tried to figure out what they could be. Their journey isn’t just about falling in love; it’s about learning how to trust, communicate, heal, and make room for each other’s dreams.

And Cassie? I adored her. She creates the most amazing paper crafts, and I will forever have a soft spot for a romance with a creative heroine! 🎨✨ But what really stole my heart was the way she loved Lance. She continually reminds him to be kind to himself and to the wounded child inside him. The tenderness she shows him absolutely melted me. 🥹

I also loved that Lance genuinely respects Cassie, her ambitions, and the person she is. Their relationship feels like a partnership as they navigate their differences and figure out how to build something lasting together.

Their love story is emotional, tender, and full of the kind of growth that makes you want to cheer for both of them. Watching their love grow while they each work through their own struggles made this one incredibly satisfying.

If you love hockey romance, childhood friends to lovers, emotional healing, protective heroes, creative heroines, and a love story with plenty of angst and heart, definitely add Breakaway to your TBR! 🏒❤️

📌 Voluntarily reviewed. I received no compensation, and these opinions are entirely my own.

Content warnings: childhood abandonment, childhood poverty, exposure to drug use, hunger, and PTSD related to childhood trauma.

[VickydpBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hit every single sweet spot I have for sports romance – absolutely unputdownable.

Picture me mid-meltdown, six teaspoons deep straight out the Nutella jar having the worst day ever… and who should turn up but Lance Jefferson. The guy I’ve had a hopeless crush on since high school. My brother’s best friend. Stanley Cup winner. And the man who’s only ever seen me as “little Cassie” – until now.

When my deadbeat ex won’t take the hint and leave me alone, Lance steps in like he’s got every right to, and suddenly things shift completely. He’s no longer just the off-limits friend; he’s protective, intense, and looking at me like I’m the only person in the room. It’s equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

I know I should walk away. Getting involved could ruin his friendship with my brother, send my whole family into chaos, and sink the business I’ve worked so hard to get off the ground. But then there he is, standing shirtless in the snow, and every single rule I told myself I’d keep? Gone.

It’s such a gorgeous slow burn, too – no rushing things here, just that delicious build-up you can’t stop thinking about. I loved both of them so much: Cassie knows exactly what she deserves and won’t settle, while Lance is working through his own wounds and actually putting in the work in therapy to be better. The representation feels so natural, the found family beats hit hard, and switching between their points of view makes you feel every single conflict and spark.

If you’re a fan of Liz Tomforde, Lauren Blakely or Tessa Bailey’s signature banter, heat and heart, make this your next read.

[Sarina Birchwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love a hockey romance, brother’s best friend, childhood crush and a man with wounds running so deep he doesn’t know how to love, this one is for you!

I basically devoured this in one sitting because I was SO addicted! Lance is a hockey star carrying some seriously deep childhood trauma, while Cassie has been crushing on her brother’s best friend since she was a teenager. Watching these two finally give in to the attraction, lust and feelings they’ve been fighting for years was everything!

I loved getting caught up in their story, and the spicy romance had me completely hooked. This was my first Diamond book, and I’m already looking forward to reading more of her books and the rest of the Maverick Series!

The only reason this didn’t get that 5th star for me is that, unlike some other romance series I love, I wasn’t left desperate to know more about the other characters. Their appearances felt pretty minimal throughout this book, so I didn’t quite get that I NEED their stories now feeling. But honestly, that hasn’t taken away any of my desire for more from Diamond because I’m definitely keen to see what she brings us next! 📚❤️

[Shirley Monas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this hockey romance. The MMC, Lance, is best friends with the FMC, Cassie’s, brother. Lance had a really rough childhood and spent most of his teenage years living w/ Cassie’s family. Growing up, Cassie has always crushed on Lance. Her family has always referred to her as “little Cassie” and undermined her because she was the youngest in the family. She left home to pursue a career that she really didn’t enjoy and returned to start her own business in crafting. Lance realizes that she’s grown and really sees who she is even though her family still sees her as “little Cassie”. She’s afraid to tell her family that she’s quit her job to start her own business because she thinks that they will undermine her. She didn’t want the disappointment of her family’s reaction. Things get steamy between the two in short order. Things from Lance’s past come back to haunt him and he pushes everyone away. Cassie doesn’t know all the details about his past and when she does, she doesn’t see him any different, but supports him. They hit a few roadblocks because he’s never been in a relationship before, so there are some miscommunication and misunderstandings that they deal with. Overall, It hint it was a solid novel.

[Amanda Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie's brothers, Theo and William played hockey, William had a great friend, Lance, who had a hard life, his mother was very unreliable so Cassie's parents took him under their wing, he lived with them and went to school with William. Now he's come back and is playing hockey for the Mavericks. He's finding it hard to be local to where he grew up, he has a secret which he's hoping that people don't find out about, he's being really hard on himself.
Cassie has had a crush on him for years, now she's older and able to speak up. Lance has been attracted to her but feels he's not good enough, bearing in mind his background. They hide their relationship because they don't want pressure from her family and because he doesn't think that they will be happy with him.
I loved that he stood up for her about her business, even though she wasn't too happy about it!

A great read from Laura

[Amanda Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie's brothers, Theo and William played hockey, William had a great friend, Lance, who had a hard life, his mother was very unreliable so Cassie's parents took him under their wing, he lived with them and went to school with William. Now he's come back and is playing hockey for the Mavericks. He's finding it hard to be local to where he grew up, he has a secret which he's hoping that people don't find out about, he's being really hard on himself.
Cassie has had a crush on him for years, now she's older and able to speak up. Lance has been attracted to her but feels he's not good enough, bearing in mind his background. They hide their relationship because they don't want pressure from her family and because he doesn't think that they will be happy with him.
I loved that he stood up for her about her business, even though she wasn't too happy about it!

A great read from Laura

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breakaway by Laura Marquez Diamond was a fun and steamy hockey romance that kept me turning the pages. If you love the brother’s-best-friend trope, this one has plenty of chemistry, tension, and those “we definitely shouldn’t be doing this” moments that make the romance so entertaining. I enjoyed the dynamic between the main characters and watching their attraction develop despite the complications surrounding them. The hockey setting also added a great backdrop to the story and gave it that perfect sports-romance feel. There were moments when I wanted the characters to just communicate already, but the emotional tension made the payoff even more satisfying. Overall, Breakaway is a an enjoyable read with romance, heat, friendship, and hockey all blended together.

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

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of Daimond's Maverick's series. A wonderful hockey themed romance read that is well written and sure to please. Main characters are Lance and Cassie. This romance troupe follows the brother's best friend. Cassie has crushed on Lance since she was a teenager but never thought any of the feels were reciprocated, until now when Lance starts acting more protective. Diamond delivers a good level of emotion and depth with this title healing and hope from past is also accomplished. I loved the dirty talk as well as all the sizzling chemistry and beautiful sweetness. Overall, a well written and beautifully balanced romance! Definitely looking forward to more from Diamond and this series!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.

[Laci Steimel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie and Lance were so cute together! Their friendship/relationship from a young age, and their relationship within the found family is wonderful to read. Their chemistry was off the charts! I adore how Lance brought Cassie's fantasies to life. Lance really grew into himself, with his inability to be vulnerable at the beginning, and developing into someone that could admit feelings for Cassie, as well as accept his past and how it made him who he is. Cassie was always so supportive of Lance and his past, even without knowing the whole story. She really helped him open up, and I adore how they are with each other, and with her family. Her family was my favorite set of secondary characters, especially Will, who is a bit clueless lol. Fantastic read!

[Jasmine Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance copy. The characters Lance and Cassie are fun to read about. They are part of a slow-burning romance in which they work through many of their own issues as they grow closer. This book is amazing at times. But the shift from going through conflict to dirty talk does make it tough to read sometimes. But the rest of the book was amazing to read.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. Lance had a lot a trauma that he needed to work through in order to truly be with Cassie. His past had him in a very bad place and it almost won. Cassie also had her own insecurities that she had to work on. I think both characters managed to grow and progress through out the story. I am not sure how I managed to read this entire series, minus this book. I just completely missed it and I am glad I managed to read it! I love this world so much!

[Theresa Masker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is more than a hockey romance. I went into this thinking it was like all the other hockey romance books out there. It was not . It was so much more. Yes you have the hockey trope elements. But this goes way into depth about other things. It's the classic girl with the brother's best friend. Fighting for what they want. Taking care of problems. I love Cass and Lance's story. Can't wait for the next book

[Mandi Hulott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie and Lances story was heartwarming and spicy at the same time. Cassie trying to shed the Little Cassie nickname was such a good part of the storyline and one many can relate to.
Looking forward to Book 2 ❤️.

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

[Amanda Schumacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good brother's best friend romance where they've known each other since they were teenagers. Cassie has had a crush on Lance since they were younger. She thought he didn't see her as anything but his best friends little sister. They hide their relationship from her brother while not really calling it a relationship for a while. When he finds out, he's not as mad at they thought he would be. It's funny and snarky but also really emotionally deep. I love this so much.. its a definite must read for me!

[Lou Li Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love a Brothers Best friend romance when the FMC, Cassie, has been crushing on Lance since childhood. Hot Hockey player Lance? say no more! Their chemistry is spicing, bit of a rollercoaster of emotions from both, Cassie from her family, Lance from his childhood but was still very protective of Cassie. Super flirty, pretty dirty, but they are young and he's a pro athlete so the attraction and chemistry came naturally.

I voluntarily reviewed a free advance copy of this book provided by the author. The opinions expressed are my own

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie & Lance's story
Such a great, brothers best friend, with a side of sports romance.
We get drama, angst, spice and humor.

I thought Cassie and Lance were both likeable and relatable.
Both were dealing with their own insecurities or struggles.
It was great to see them grow as individuals. I think they fit each other well.
I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom into to something more and the steam was hot!
I really enjoyed it! Overall, a sweet romance.

[Steph Whitelaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, it’s a slow burn romance that is so well written that it makes you feel the emotions the characters are going through. What I really enjoyed about this story is both characters grew. Lance learned to face his childhood demons whilst Cassie learned to be strong & not be afraid to start putting herself first.

[Maddie · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I loved this book however I wish there was more verbal expression from Lance rather than just sex. All he seemed to do was want sex with her and to show her how he felt through sex and how right they were together physically. What about her personality, what did he like about her? I did love the way she came into her confidence and he came to accept his past and express that, but the relationship wasn't really for me.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Cassie and Lance are on fire. Childhood friends who reconnect years later but have to work through their own issues to see the potential future in front of them. Steamy and raw, this book is like a peek behind the curtain of someone else's life.