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Power Play
A KFU Fury Hockey Romance
Book One of Two of Ryan and Charm Duet. THIS BOOK DOES NOT HAVE AN HEA
Ryan Decker learned young that love doesn’t stay.
People leave. Promises break. Trust becomes the weapon someone uses once they know exactly where to cut. He survived East Harlem, foster care, and every person who decided the brown barrio kid would never become anything. Now he’s twenty-five, playing the best hockey of his life, and close enough to the pros to taste everything he fought for.
Then Charm Harlen finally looks at him like she wants him too.
Charm has spent her entire life becoming whatever everyone else needed her to be. Beautiful. Polished. Perfect. Beneath the clothes, makeup, and wealthy family name is a woman suffocating under severe anxiety, impossible expectations, and a hatred of her own body she can’t silence.
Ryan sees through every carefully constructed layer.
He sees the panic she hides, the meals she avoids, and the way she disappears whenever her father’s approval is threatened. He refuses to let her pretend she’s fine—and loving him means risking the life she has been conditioned to protect.
Their chemistry is brutal. Their love is obsessive. Their secrets are already tearing them apart.
Ryan can fight for Charm, defend her, and show her what unconditional love should feel like. He can open the cage and beg her to walk through it.
What he can’t do is survive being the man she’s ashamed to choose.
When love collides with fear, class, family control, and wounds neither of them knows how to heal, the fallout won’t merely break their hearts.
It will destroy everything they believed love could save.
POWER PLAY is an emotionally brutal, high-heat hockey romance packed with forbidden love, explosive chemistry, severe anxiety, disordered eating, parental control, class prejudice, grief, rage, chosen family, and the kind of heartbreak that doesn’t end when the final page does.
Book One of Two of Ryan and Charm Duet. THIS BOOK DOES NOT HAVE AN HEA
Ryan Decker learned young that love doesn’t stay.
People leave. Promises break. Trust becomes the weapon someone uses once they know exactly where to cut. He survived East Harlem, foster care, and every person who decided the brown barrio kid would never become anything. Now he’s twenty-five, playing the best hockey of his life, and close enough to the pros to taste everything he fought for.
Then Charm Harlen finally looks at him like she wants him too.
Charm has spent her entire life becoming whatever everyone else needed her to be. Beautiful. Polished. Perfect. Beneath the clothes, makeup, and wealthy family name is a woman suffocating under severe anxiety, impossible expectations, and a hatred of her own body she can’t silence.
Ryan sees through every carefully constructed layer.
He sees the panic she hides, the meals she avoids, and the way she disappears whenever her father’s approval is threatened. He refuses to let her pretend she’s fine—and loving him means risking the life she has been conditioned to protect.
Their chemistry is brutal. Their love is obsessive. Their secrets are already tearing them apart.
Ryan can fight for Charm, defend her, and show her what unconditional love should feel like. He can open the cage and beg her to walk through it.
What he can’t do is survive being the man she’s ashamed to choose.
When love collides with fear, class, family control, and wounds neither of them knows how to heal, the fallout won’t merely break their hearts.
It will destroy everything they believed love could save.
POWER PLAY is an emotionally brutal, high-heat hockey romance packed with forbidden love, explosive chemistry, severe anxiety, disordered eating, parental control, class prejudice, grief, rage, chosen family, and the kind of heartbreak that doesn’t end when the final page does.
737 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 31, 2026
Spoilers ahead.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Before the usual suspects start bitching, I actually received an ARC this time. Does being married to the author make me biased? Probably. Does that mean my wife can’t write a damn good book that I genuinely enjoyed? No. Both things can be true. Find a new complaint.
Anyway, for those of you who celebrate her with me-Guess what? My wife wrote another book, so naturally I’ve spent the last few weeks living with a woman who answers questions with “huh?” unless the questions are, “Babe, will you make dinner so I can work?”
POWER PLAY starts out deceptively nice. Ryan and Charm read poetry, drink wine, go to a carnival, fall in love, and have enough sex to make me question whether hockey players ever need electrolytes.
Then she throws a curveball so hard it hit like a folding chair to the head.
Ryan is a tattooed hockey player who reads classics, speaks Spanish, remembers everything Charm says, and asks whether she’s eaten. Basically, my wife built her dream man and gave him abandonment issues for entertainment. Charm loves him. That part is obvious. Unfortunately, her brain treats happiness like a suspicious package. Ryan tells her she’s beautiful, and instead of believing him, she launches a full investigation into why he’s probably lying.
Ryan’s superpower is loving hard. Charm’s is ruining her own day before breakfast. Together, they’re a fucking emergency.
I got mad at Charm. Then I understood Charm. Then I got mad again because understanding somebody doesn’t stop you from wanting to shake them until loose change falls out.
Ryan keeps showing up. He listens, protects, remembers, and tries every possible way to tell her she matters. The guy would’ve carried her through hell, but Charm couldn’t handle hand holding in public and that is what finally broke him.
When Ryan is done, he doesn’t sulk, negotiate, or circle the block. He emotionally repossesses the entire relationship. He takes his key back, blocks her, and removes her from his life with the efficiency of a guy canceling a gym membership.
El Cuchillo isn’t a nickname. It’s a customer-service policy. “No, ma’am, your access has been revoked.” Honestly, Ryan's cut-off game is so brutal it should be studied.
The doorknob scene got me. Ryan is standing there fighting every instinct telling him to open that door, and somehow he keeps it shut. I respect the hell out of that strength almost as much as I respect his boys for holding the line for him.
This book made me root for Ryan, ache for Charm, curse both of them, and seriously question why I continue reading my wife’s books when she claims it's about hocky to pull me in and then uses my feelings like hockey pucks. Ryan needs a therapist, a beer and a hug while Charm needs a therapist, all the mirrors in her house shattered and to stop letting her inner asshole make decisions because she regrets them every time.
And I need FACEOFF, a beer of my own and my wifey to finish the damn series so we can cuddle and binge watch The Voice like the old days before you invented the eighth realm of emotional hell called KFU Fury.
Melanie, I am so proud of you, blown away by the talent in your beautiful brain and will read anything you write because I love how you see the ugliest things in life, make me feel the horror of that suffering and turn it into something spectacular. You are incredibly talented, baby-now go write so I can end this book hangover. You got this, make Faceoff your bitch.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Before the usual suspects start bitching, I actually received an ARC this time. Does being married to the author make me biased? Probably. Does that mean my wife can’t write a damn good book that I genuinely enjoyed? No. Both things can be true. Find a new complaint.
Anyway, for those of you who celebrate her with me-Guess what? My wife wrote another book, so naturally I’ve spent the last few weeks living with a woman who answers questions with “huh?” unless the questions are, “Babe, will you make dinner so I can work?”
POWER PLAY starts out deceptively nice. Ryan and Charm read poetry, drink wine, go to a carnival, fall in love, and have enough sex to make me question whether hockey players ever need electrolytes.
Then she throws a curveball so hard it hit like a folding chair to the head.
Ryan is a tattooed hockey player who reads classics, speaks Spanish, remembers everything Charm says, and asks whether she’s eaten. Basically, my wife built her dream man and gave him abandonment issues for entertainment. Charm loves him. That part is obvious. Unfortunately, her brain treats happiness like a suspicious package. Ryan tells her she’s beautiful, and instead of believing him, she launches a full investigation into why he’s probably lying.
Ryan’s superpower is loving hard. Charm’s is ruining her own day before breakfast. Together, they’re a fucking emergency.
I got mad at Charm. Then I understood Charm. Then I got mad again because understanding somebody doesn’t stop you from wanting to shake them until loose change falls out.
Ryan keeps showing up. He listens, protects, remembers, and tries every possible way to tell her she matters. The guy would’ve carried her through hell, but Charm couldn’t handle hand holding in public and that is what finally broke him.
When Ryan is done, he doesn’t sulk, negotiate, or circle the block. He emotionally repossesses the entire relationship. He takes his key back, blocks her, and removes her from his life with the efficiency of a guy canceling a gym membership.
El Cuchillo isn’t a nickname. It’s a customer-service policy. “No, ma’am, your access has been revoked.” Honestly, Ryan's cut-off game is so brutal it should be studied.
The doorknob scene got me. Ryan is standing there fighting every instinct telling him to open that door, and somehow he keeps it shut. I respect the hell out of that strength almost as much as I respect his boys for holding the line for him.
This book made me root for Ryan, ache for Charm, curse both of them, and seriously question why I continue reading my wife’s books when she claims it's about hocky to pull me in and then uses my feelings like hockey pucks. Ryan needs a therapist, a beer and a hug while Charm needs a therapist, all the mirrors in her house shattered and to stop letting her inner asshole make decisions because she regrets them every time.
And I need FACEOFF, a beer of my own and my wifey to finish the damn series so we can cuddle and binge watch The Voice like the old days before you invented the eighth realm of emotional hell called KFU Fury.
Melanie, I am so proud of you, blown away by the talent in your beautiful brain and will read anything you write because I love how you see the ugliest things in life, make me feel the horror of that suffering and turn it into something spectacular. You are incredibly talented, baby-now go write so I can end this book hangover. You got this, make Faceoff your bitch.
September 6, 2026
Power Play By: Melanie Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
⚠️ CHECK TW ⚠️
“She spent most of her life surrounded by people deciding what she should do, what she should wear, what she should want, and who she is supposed to become. I wasn’t going to add myself to that list simply because I wanted her.”
“I love coming home to you. I love that your sh*t is all over my apartment. I love that you use my books, send me voice notes, and somehow turn my Great Lakes mug into your f***ing wineglass.”
“I want you at that game as my girlfriend. I want you in the stand wearing my number. I want to walk out of that locker room afterward and know exactly who’s I’m looking for.”
“I want Thanksgiving with you. I want all of our friends to know what we are. I want your parents to know I’m not some phase they can wait out. I want the whole f***ing thing.”
This is the third book in the Kimball Falls Fury series and if you have not read this series as a whole yet, it should be on your TBR!!!!! I NEED part two of this book!!! I love a good duet and this is no different but I just NEED to know!!! ONE THING IS PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS, there is heavy stuff talked about in this book.
This book hit my right square in the freaking feels again. I cried in the first two books and went into this one kinda expecting to cry but was really hoping that Charm and Ryan would have an easier relationship then the previous two, and oh man I was so wrong and so not truly prepared.
The MMC Ryan is someone I absolutely love especially with his maturity and emotional stability in the previous two books but as much as I love him I found myself wanting to reach into the pages and just shake him and then the next page wanting to wrap him in a hug. My heart absolutely broke when they were in Charms dad study and even earlier when he would feel her pull away but I loved how he was trying to be patient.
Oh the FMC Charm… reading the first two books (until book 2 epilogue) I really thought she was gonna be the easiest of the three girls and if I’m being honest in someways I think she was more difficult then the other two combined. With charm it was hard because there are parts to her that hit way to close to home for me (makes me take a look at myself, and who truly wants to do that??). There were times in this book where I wanted to just grab her and shake her and yell at her, there were times where I wanted to tell her than she didn’t deserve Ryan but in the end my heart just completely broke for her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
⚠️ CHECK TW ⚠️
“She spent most of her life surrounded by people deciding what she should do, what she should wear, what she should want, and who she is supposed to become. I wasn’t going to add myself to that list simply because I wanted her.”
“I love coming home to you. I love that your sh*t is all over my apartment. I love that you use my books, send me voice notes, and somehow turn my Great Lakes mug into your f***ing wineglass.”
“I want you at that game as my girlfriend. I want you in the stand wearing my number. I want to walk out of that locker room afterward and know exactly who’s I’m looking for.”
“I want Thanksgiving with you. I want all of our friends to know what we are. I want your parents to know I’m not some phase they can wait out. I want the whole f***ing thing.”
This is the third book in the Kimball Falls Fury series and if you have not read this series as a whole yet, it should be on your TBR!!!!! I NEED part two of this book!!! I love a good duet and this is no different but I just NEED to know!!! ONE THING IS PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS, there is heavy stuff talked about in this book.
This book hit my right square in the freaking feels again. I cried in the first two books and went into this one kinda expecting to cry but was really hoping that Charm and Ryan would have an easier relationship then the previous two, and oh man I was so wrong and so not truly prepared.
The MMC Ryan is someone I absolutely love especially with his maturity and emotional stability in the previous two books but as much as I love him I found myself wanting to reach into the pages and just shake him and then the next page wanting to wrap him in a hug. My heart absolutely broke when they were in Charms dad study and even earlier when he would feel her pull away but I loved how he was trying to be patient.
Oh the FMC Charm… reading the first two books (until book 2 epilogue) I really thought she was gonna be the easiest of the three girls and if I’m being honest in someways I think she was more difficult then the other two combined. With charm it was hard because there are parts to her that hit way to close to home for me (makes me take a look at myself, and who truly wants to do that??). There were times in this book where I wanted to just grab her and shake her and yell at her, there were times where I wanted to tell her than she didn’t deserve Ryan but in the end my heart just completely broke for her.
September 4, 2026
******* I Am Emotionally Damaged********
This book hits you in all the feels. I was so angry at both the FMC and MC while at the same time rooting for them, through the entire book. They both react to things while being rooted in their own trauma and equally hurt one another. My heart breaks for Ryan and Charm but I also want to scream at them, "Wait! Don't make final decisions from an emotional place!" I am sooooo upset that it ended with a 2nd book to come, only because I NEED their story completed now. This book has been hanging out in my head all day, I just can't get it out of my mind. I need Faceoff now so I can have their redemption story!
The only downside I had with this book was the lack of substance from the other characters we know and love. There was so much detail about Ryan and Charm's stories but I felt like there was nothing outside of their emotions until the last 20% of the book when we got to see them interact with the other characters, go to a lodge and then a hockey game. I wish there had been more substance in that way vs all the emotional Rolla coasters we went through. At times it got a little too heavy.
This book hits you in all the feels. I was so angry at both the FMC and MC while at the same time rooting for them, through the entire book. They both react to things while being rooted in their own trauma and equally hurt one another. My heart breaks for Ryan and Charm but I also want to scream at them, "Wait! Don't make final decisions from an emotional place!" I am sooooo upset that it ended with a 2nd book to come, only because I NEED their story completed now. This book has been hanging out in my head all day, I just can't get it out of my mind. I need Faceoff now so I can have their redemption story!
The only downside I had with this book was the lack of substance from the other characters we know and love. There was so much detail about Ryan and Charm's stories but I felt like there was nothing outside of their emotions until the last 20% of the book when we got to see them interact with the other characters, go to a lodge and then a hockey game. I wish there had been more substance in that way vs all the emotional Rolla coasters we went through. At times it got a little too heavy.
September 14, 2026
OMG OMG. i had to take a break before finishing this. A WEEK TO GATHER MYSELF. BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS HEARTBREAKING. HEARTWRENCHING. IDK HOW TO LIVE.
OK dramatic but still. My heart while reading this entire book felt like it at the bottom of my stomach. I am so serious guys.
RYAN RYAN RYAN. Poor Ryan and i dont feel bad for Charm. NOPE. He warned her what would happened. time and time again she showed him what she meant to him. like he said actions speak louder than words! Even Bliss and Aura didnt know. Either they are TERRIBLE best friends (which I think they are) or they really are so dumb lol.
I do feel for Charm and her insecurities.
Gosh the scene where he comes back from the most important game, the best night of his life to Charm. their fight their goodbye my golly! and when charm ran and Ryan started screaming and punching my goodness my heart truly broke for him.
and when Ryan said goodbye to Cade and his boys....... i need the 2nd book please
OK dramatic but still. My heart while reading this entire book felt like it at the bottom of my stomach. I am so serious guys.
RYAN RYAN RYAN. Poor Ryan and i dont feel bad for Charm. NOPE. He warned her what would happened. time and time again she showed him what she meant to him. like he said actions speak louder than words! Even Bliss and Aura didnt know. Either they are TERRIBLE best friends (which I think they are) or they really are so dumb lol.
I do feel for Charm and her insecurities.
Gosh the scene where he comes back from the most important game, the best night of his life to Charm. their fight their goodbye my golly! and when charm ran and Ryan started screaming and punching my goodness my heart truly broke for him.
and when Ryan said goodbye to Cade and his boys....... i need the 2nd book please
September 1, 2026
Power play is a slow burn with a lot of emotional foreplay and baggage. Ryan knows what he wants and is just waiting for Charm to give the green light.
Charm has an internal battle that she keeps trying to fight. Ryan is smooth, sweet and Intense. He tries so hard to get her to see what he sees. This battle is lost and raw emotions come to surface.
I could feel their pain and was fighting so hard right along with them. I was in the room wanting to shout and argue right along with his friends.
I need part 2 ASAP! I am not ok.
Charm has an internal battle that she keeps trying to fight. Ryan is smooth, sweet and Intense. He tries so hard to get her to see what he sees. This battle is lost and raw emotions come to surface.
I could feel their pain and was fighting so hard right along with them. I was in the room wanting to shout and argue right along with his friends.
I need part 2 ASAP! I am not ok.
October 23, 2026
This book is a great read! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews