A Little Too Forward

Toronto Nighthawks #1

by Melissa Williams

Sabrina Sutton is done playing by the rules. After years of being overshadowed and overlooked in the male-dominated world of sports analysis, she quits her job in a fiery act of defiance—only to find herself without a plan, a paycheque, or a way forward. With her confidence faltering and her career at a standstill, the last person she expects to run into is Max "Speed" Daws, her childhood best friend turned nemesis and annoyingly irresistible hockey superstar.

Max has it all: fame, fortune, and a reputation as one of the league's most electrifying players, dazzling fans as the Toronto Nighthawks' star forward. But beneath the spotlight, his personal life is a mystery, including the one secret he's managed to keep close to his heart—his unwavering feelings for Sabrina. When fate throws them back together, Max sees his chance to help Sabrina reclaim her career by giving her exclusive access to his life, both on and off the ice.

As their professional partnership heats up, it becomes easier for Sabrina to see past the ruins of their friendship, forcing her to confront the one thing she’s always avoided: her complicated feelings for Max. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could either make or break her career; is she really willing to leave it in the hands of Max Daws?

300 pages, ebook

Published February 6, 2025

About the author

Melissa Williams lives and works in Toronto, Ontario and loves to surround herself in the random and ridiculous. When not writing steamy romances, she enjoys watching bad reality T.V., drinking wine and basking in the sun. But more often than not she can be found reading in her favorite comfy chair with a coffee by her side. For the latest updates and more about Melissa, follow her on Instagram @MelissaWilliamsWrites

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Reviews

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun hockey romance! I loved the Toronto setting!

Thank you to Kobo Books for my copy!

[Marion Löw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cute friends to enemies to lovers hockey romance with its added forced proximity, „he falls first“ and „it’s always been you“ tropes. The plot is very well written with some LOL moments, witty banter, a bit of steam and very likable characters with plenty of tension and chemistry between them that feels natural and relatable. Max is a swoon-worthy cinnamon roll hero and Sabrina an ambitious woman who wants to assert herself in a male-dominated world. I also liked their relatives and Max‘ teammates and am looking forward to their stories.

When sports reporter Sabrina Sutton is once again passed over for a promotion, she quits her job. At the retirement party of her parents, she runs into her former best friend and current nemesis Max Daws, a pro hockey player for the Toronto Nighthawks with whom she hasn't had contact in years.
Max has been in love with Sabrina since childhood and when he learns that she currently has no job, he organises for her to make a documentary about him to support her and mend their broken relationship...

If you like lighthearted hockey romance novellas with endearing characters, witty banter and a bit of spice, you are sure to enjoy this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabrina and Max were friends or frenemies as kids until they broke up for a stupid reason. He signed up to play for Montreal and Sabrina, apparently isn't a Montreal fan. (But of course it wasn't quite so straightforward.) Then they didn't speak for years, despite both having a crush on each other. When Sabrina quits her job as a sports reporter Max wants her to host a documentary about him. There's not a lot that happens and I skim-read some of it. It was OK, I had no strong feelings one way or another.
Occasionally I had a bit of a hard time buying into the intensity of their feelings when they were both quite happy not to have any contact for a decade or whatever.

Steam level: Some sexual activity. Protection or lack thereof never came up in conversation.

Funniest typo: when talking about working together, "We'd be colleges."

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story of a childhood friends, a sports reporter and a professional hockey player. Their friendship ended when he signed a contract with a team and moved away and they haven't spent time together in years even though he's always had a thing for her. They're thrown together when she quits her job and he requests her to interview him for a documentary. I thought this was a cute story but it seemed short -- hard to tell with no page numbers but definitely more novella length. It would have benefited from being a little more fleshed out I thought. The reasons for the end of their friendship were thrown out quite briefly and then resolved almost just as briefly. Still, I'm a sucker for a hockey romance and this one was cute.

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hockey pucks and second chances...

I really liked this quick hockey read. Sabrina is a good sports reporter who has earned a promotion which she was passed over for twice for incompetent male colleagues. She quits and her last interview is with her former best friend, Max Daws. They were best friends, neighbors and maybe more. But it did not end well and they haven't spoken in a decade. Until they do and when they do a live interview the second time they speak in ten years, it goes viral. I really liked that Max was supportive and protective of Sabrina, who is dramatic and has a big personality to go with her red hair.
Recommend.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet, funny short book. With all the best tropes. She's a firecracker and he's a golden retriever. I personally couldn't imagine giving up my best friend just because he was drafted by a team that I didn't like, but I get it. Ice hockey fans are different. The soft enemies to lovers was a great touch and the force proximity/only one bed was hilarious. However, the plot was a little weak. It's a quick read when you need something light and fun. I look forward to reading more Toronto Nighthawks.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Kobo originals and Melissa Williams for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

[Eris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thus us a good book. The two main characters are Sabrina and Max. They gave known each other for all their lives. Sabrina is a reporter, who is up for a promotion, buy she doesn’t get so she quits. Ax is a hockey player. He is being asked to a documentary about his life. He says ok but only if Sabrina is the interviewer. They start dating. They fall in love.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! The lack of spice was made up for by the fun dialogue, snarky text banter, and character growth. A sweet, sports romance read.

[Amanda Blose · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has never been interested in Contemporary/Sports Romances, I absolutely loved this one! I will definitely be delving deeper into this genre.

[Sheryl C. Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, pallet cleanse, but nothing special