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wendygothard's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 rounded up to 5.
SPICY SPICY SPICY. 4/5 chilis. But there's still enough plot lines that it doesn't just feel like it's floating from spicy scene to another.
Rory Miller *almost* surpassed Finn Rhodes as my favorite Stephanie Archer MMC. He falls first and falls HARD...he's a bad boy reputation who's secretly a golden retriever. The PINING he does over Hazel is gold.
The BANTER between Rory and Hazel is perfection. It's like enemies to lovers, but they also knew each other in high school so it's more like frenemies to lovers by way of fake dating that very quickly doesn't feel fake. Fake dating is not usually my favorite trope because of the constant "it's not real" feelings assumptions that is irrationally frustrating, but here they drop the act without all the fuss. There's third act conflict, but no big breakup. I wish there was a bit more development into the conflict with Hazel's ex, but I get that the book is longer and it needed to be resolved without another 100 pages.
I loved Hazel's mission to open an inclusive gym that stems from her mother's insecurities. I loved this side plot because it shows how much a mother's words can affect her daughters from a young age...and how either that can be absorbed and imitated or the opposite, as in Hazel's case, where she takes it and tries to make a change but it affects the mother-daughter relationship.
This book is LONG...82 chapters! But they are short, dual POV chapters so it goes by so fast.
While having read Jamie/Pippa's story is fun, it's not needed at all! Rory and Hazel have such a good, genuine connection.
SPICY SPICY SPICY. 4/5 chilis. But there's still enough plot lines that it doesn't just feel like it's floating from spicy scene to another.
Rory Miller *almost* surpassed Finn Rhodes as my favorite Stephanie Archer MMC. He falls first and falls HARD...he's a bad boy reputation who's secretly a golden retriever. The PINING he does over Hazel is gold.
The BANTER between Rory and Hazel is perfection. It's like enemies to lovers, but they also knew each other in high school so it's more like frenemies to lovers by way of fake dating that very quickly doesn't feel fake. Fake dating is not usually my favorite trope because of the constant "it's not real" feelings assumptions that is irrationally frustrating, but here they drop the act without all the fuss. There's third act conflict, but no big breakup. I wish there was a bit more development into the conflict with Hazel's ex, but I get that the book is longer and it needed to be resolved without another 100 pages.
I loved Hazel's mission to open an inclusive gym that stems from her mother's insecurities. I loved this side plot because it shows how much a mother's words can affect her daughters from a young age...and how either that can be absorbed and imitated or the opposite, as in Hazel's case, where she takes it and tries to make a change but it affects the mother-daughter relationship.
This book is LONG...82 chapters! But they are short, dual POV chapters so it goes by so fast.
While having read Jamie/Pippa's story is fun, it's not needed at all! Rory and Hazel have such a good, genuine connection.
maartjevth's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
styreads's review against another edition
3.0
Didn’t love this one as much as the first one but the banter between Hazel and Rory was cute!
haila's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
leighkelly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bmitch21's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
whittles09's review against another edition
5.0
2025 read #2: Devoured this in 12 hours. I still agree with everything I said before. I looovvves this book.
This book was everything. Cute and fluffy, fun banter, character development all the way through, and no third-act breakup. Love love love. ❤️
This book was everything. Cute and fluffy, fun banter, character development all the way through, and no third-act breakup. Love love love. ❤️
hann_kay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
carinaxchr's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Again, this was not the most surprising book ever, but it was way more fun than the first one. Cheers to the fake dating trope. I enjoyed it. The pages fly by and the tension especially in the first half is good. It's a nice quick read.
Hazel Hartley is the physio of the hockey team. Her ex who cheated on her is traded to the team and she has to be his physio, yickes. To get back at him, she tells him she is dating Rory Miller, his rival. The fake dating plot begins. There is also some history between Rory and Hazel as she tutored him in high school. But of course it's always been her (for him). Except he didn't ask her out but her cheating ex did and the rest is history. Rory was also kind of an ass to a girl in high school.
The suspense arc of this book is rather low. They start fake dating and it feels fake for like 50 pages and then they are basically a normal couple. There is no third act breakup. They have two fights or let's call them communication problems but they are resolved directly after, so no miscommunication arises and I think that is wonderful. Mature.
Hazel tells her sister and her fiancé (aka Poppy and Jamie) about the fake dating, which I think is a nice change for once. Communication is key. But it also resolves the funny akwardness like rubbing sunscreen on your Adam Driver lookalike because your bestie said so (love for the Love Hypothsis).
The banter is great. He calls her "my little fire-breathing dragon" and I think that is the cutest thing ever. Rory also buys her a crystal dragon and himself a matching one. Cuteeeee. He is also very cute when he is drunk.He gets a tattoo of a dragon for her. And yes, they are officially still fake dating at that point. But they don't care.
Hazel Hartley is the physio of the hockey team. Her ex who cheated on her is traded to the team and she has to be his physio, yickes. To get back at him, she tells him she is dating Rory Miller, his rival. The fake dating plot begins. There is also some history between Rory and Hazel as she tutored him in high school. But of course it's always been her (for him). Except he didn't ask her out but her cheating ex did and the rest is history. Rory was also kind of an ass to a girl in high school.
The suspense arc of this book is rather low. They start fake dating and it feels fake for like 50 pages and then they are basically a normal couple. There is no third act breakup. They have two fights or let's call them communication problems but they are resolved directly after, so no miscommunication arises and I think that is wonderful. Mature.
Hazel tells her sister and her fiancé (aka Poppy and Jamie) about the fake dating, which I think is a nice change for once. Communication is key. But it also resolves the funny akwardness like rubbing sunscreen on your Adam Driver lookalike because your bestie said so (love for the Love Hypothsis).
The banter is great. He calls her "my little fire-breathing dragon" and I think that is the cutest thing ever. Rory also buys her a crystal dragon and himself a matching one. Cuteeeee. He is also very cute when he is drunk.
"I don't know what to do with you."
A tattoo. A fucking tattoo.
His fingers come beneath my chin and he tips my face up. "Keep me." (p.359)
There is a part in the book where he himself says he is "stuck in caveman gear" (p.272) and maybe it's meant to be cute but it's also annoying. She sprained her ankle while skating. He blames himself and now carries her everywhere.
At the end, I just want to say, that I am bery happy that the name Rory didn't cause any problems because when I read the blurb, I was thinking of Rory Gilmore and she is definitely no "arrogant" hockey player.
At the end, I just want to say, that I am bery happy that the name Rory didn't cause any problems because when I read the blurb, I was thinking of Rory Gilmore and she is definitely no "arrogant" hockey player.