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D.C. Stars #4
Hat Trick
Riley Mitchell has everything he could ever want.
He’s a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion. He has great friends, a fun life, and he’s living out his dream of playing hockey in the NHL.
Except one night, everything changes.
After a car accident leaves him with an amputated right leg, he struggles with his identity. Who is he away from the ice? How is he supposed to live without the sport that means everything to him?
Enter Lexi Armstrong, the DC Stars athletic trainer assigned to Riley’s rehabilitation.
Independent, proudly single, and a sarcastic ray of sunshine, she’s determined to help Riley feel better not just physically, but mentally too.
And the friends with benefits arrangement they fall into?
Definitely not part of the rehabilitation plan.
It was supposed to be one night, but when just once turns into something much deeper than a romp in the bedroom, they have a decision to make.
Do they fight their feelings and keep things purely physical? Or can they pull off a Hat Trick and find something that lasts forever?
Hat Trick is a spicy friends to lovers sports romance with professional athletes, friends with benefits, injury rehabilitation, he falls first (and hard), and a guaranteed happily ever after. Please check content warnings as some material might be sensitive to readers.
He’s a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion. He has great friends, a fun life, and he’s living out his dream of playing hockey in the NHL.
Except one night, everything changes.
After a car accident leaves him with an amputated right leg, he struggles with his identity. Who is he away from the ice? How is he supposed to live without the sport that means everything to him?
Enter Lexi Armstrong, the DC Stars athletic trainer assigned to Riley’s rehabilitation.
Independent, proudly single, and a sarcastic ray of sunshine, she’s determined to help Riley feel better not just physically, but mentally too.
And the friends with benefits arrangement they fall into?
Definitely not part of the rehabilitation plan.
It was supposed to be one night, but when just once turns into something much deeper than a romp in the bedroom, they have a decision to make.
Do they fight their feelings and keep things purely physical? Or can they pull off a Hat Trick and find something that lasts forever?
Hat Trick is a spicy friends to lovers sports romance with professional athletes, friends with benefits, injury rehabilitation, he falls first (and hard), and a guaranteed happily ever after. Please check content warnings as some material might be sensitive to readers.
506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2025
5109 people are currently reading
41648 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Curto
20 books6,407 followersChelsea is a flight attendant and romance author who writes fun, fresh and flirty love stories with plenty of spice. When she's not making fictional characters banter for twenty chapters before they finally kiss or serving chicken or pasta on an airplane, you can find her trying to pet as many dogs as she can.
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COME SAY HI!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,259 reviews
July 5, 2025
STOP NO I LOVEDDDDD THIS!!!! God I adore this series so much it’s without a doubt my new favorite hockey romance series. I cannot get over how obsessed I was with this!!!
Riley. RILEYYY????? My glasses wearing shy nerd who reads romance books and paints in his free time WHO IS SECRETELT THE FREAKEST OUT OF THEM ALL WITH A DIRTY MOUTH??? No like I was sweating the whole time. These men are PATHETIC IN THE BEST WAYS. Like Chelsea takes whimpering desperate mess to the next level I can’t even explain it. I also love the men’s mental health rep in this! Chelsea depicts sensitive topics so well!
THIS MAN LITERALLY CRAWLS TO HER!!!!!!!!!
Also the emotions this pulled out of me?? I was not expecting to cry my god. The found family, the friendships, the comedic relief!! Ugh this is such a comfort series!
And Lexi!!! God I also loved her! All of the women in this series are so confident and independent and self assured and the girl friendships are so refreshing! Her and Riley’s relationship was everything to me!! Their chemistry and love was oozing off the pages! I adored them!
- Sunshine x former sunshine
- Friends with benefits
- Hockey player x trainer
- Forced proximity
- Injury rehabilitation
“You want to know why I’ve had all those good days? Because you were there. Because I’ve been an idiotic, pathetic mess of a man since the first day I saw you. I can’t think straight when you’re around. I can’t walk right when you smile at me. I can’t… I can’t fucking breathe unless you’re looking at me. And everything in your past might have fallen apart, but we won’t. We can’t, because deep down, I know you love me too.”
Riley. RILEYYY????? My glasses wearing shy nerd who reads romance books and paints in his free time WHO IS SECRETELT THE FREAKEST OUT OF THEM ALL WITH A DIRTY MOUTH??? No like I was sweating the whole time. These men are PATHETIC IN THE BEST WAYS. Like Chelsea takes whimpering desperate mess to the next level I can’t even explain it. I also love the men’s mental health rep in this! Chelsea depicts sensitive topics so well!
THIS MAN LITERALLY CRAWLS TO HER!!!!!!!!!
Also the emotions this pulled out of me?? I was not expecting to cry my god. The found family, the friendships, the comedic relief!! Ugh this is such a comfort series!
And Lexi!!! God I also loved her! All of the women in this series are so confident and independent and self assured and the girl friendships are so refreshing! Her and Riley’s relationship was everything to me!! Their chemistry and love was oozing off the pages! I adored them!
- Sunshine x former sunshine
- Friends with benefits
- Hockey player x trainer
- Forced proximity
- Injury rehabilitation
“You want to know why I’ve had all those good days? Because you were there. Because I’ve been an idiotic, pathetic mess of a man since the first day I saw you. I can’t think straight when you’re around. I can’t walk right when you smile at me. I can’t… I can’t fucking breathe unless you’re looking at me. And everything in your past might have fallen apart, but we won’t. We can’t, because deep down, I know you love me too.”
July 20, 2025
This ATE and I’m full.
December 29, 2025
one of my favorite reads of the year. this series is everything to me!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 7, 2025
I love Riley and his slutty little glasses 😌 also the most emotional (& equally spicy) read so far in this series
May 27, 2025
chelsea curto i love you
June 17, 2025
જ⁀➴ 4 stars
⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Chelsea Curto has done it again. When I mean "it," I mean create an amazing story with lovable characters you want to root for, the right amount of spice balanced with heart, bringing more awareness to women in a male-dominated sports world, and writing that makes you constantly want the next book in the series to come out sooner rather than later.
Riley Mitchell is at the top of the world. He plays for a Stanley Cup-winning team, he reads his books, loves his friends, and things couldn't possibly be better. When a horrible car accident leaves him with an above-the-knee amputation, his happy-go-lucky, ray of sunshine personality that everyone loves disappears. Enter Lexi Armstrong, the D.C. Stars' physical therapist, who is determined to not only get Riley back on the ice, but get him back to his old self, too. When a friends-with-benefits situation off the ice and the rehab room comes about, and possibly turns into something more, will they be able to commit to each other in the long run?
I think this review will make more sense if I talk about Riley and Lexi separately, so let's get into it!
જ⁀➴ ♡ Riley: His POV had me tearing up by Chapter 7. This is probably the darkest book of the D.C. Stars series to date, and I love the amount of care and attention Chelsea Curto put into doing research on amputees, finding sensitivity readers for this topic, and looking to Paralympic athletes as a source of inspiration. Considering all that Riley has been through in the beginning of the book, I wanted to give him a hug the entire time. I could feel his hurt, rage, sadness, and depression coming out at me through my screen and I was rooting for him the entire time to make a comeback. His grief and recovery wasn't a linear process by any means, and I love that his rehabilitation process was portrayed in a realistic light. He had his good days and his bad, and watching him improve as the book progressed was so satisfying to read.
He was the definition of a pure cinnamon roll character. Like, COME ON! He wears glasses, reads romance books, paints, buys Lexi her favorite flowers? Chelsea Curto's MMCs never fail to impress me with how many green flags they have. I've yet to find one I didn't like. (P.S. It's always the nice, quiet ones that have a freaky side to them😂)
જ⁀➴ ♡ Lexi: First off, we love a healthcare girly! Lexi is a physical therapist, and add on the fact that she's the only woman in a male-dominated space, I love the fight she had in her to make sure her voice was heard. The amount of research and care she put in to make sure Riley had the best rehabilitation journey possible just shows how much she not only loves her job, but how much she cares about Riley (and the other players!). We also love a woman who's comfortable in her sexuality and knows what she wants.
I love how Chelsea Curto continues to write badass, female characters that are constantly breaking the glass ceiling in a male-dominated world. We have Emmy playing in the NHL, Piper being a lead reporter for the Stars, Lexi as a PT in men's hockey and the implications and intricacies she has to tiptoe around to keep her job, and even the characters that aren't even in the book yet like Amelia, an NHL coach for another team, are all here breaking the mold and defying the expectations of everyone around them. I can't wait to see what the D.C. Stars women have in store next!
જ⁀➴ ♡ Lexi and Riley together: I think they're my favorite D.C. Stars couple so far. I know I say this with every book that comes out in this series, but I think Riley is my new favorite Stars player. (Sorry, Liam.) The way that both of them went out of their way to make each other's days and smile—the flowers, the donuts, the book recommendations—I loved the little acts of service each of them would do. Oh, and Riley's napkin bucket list? That was the cutest thing I've seen. I also gotta mention. The PINING AND YEARNING from Riley?! This was like, 4 books in the making. He was so down bad before Lexi even knew it and we love a man who falls first.
Bonus points go towards all the other D.C. Stars characters and their cameos! I loved seeing Emmy and Maverick still head over heels for each other (Mav will always be Emmy's pretty boy hehe), Ethan's still obsessed with hot dogs (I feel like there's a backstory to this LOL), Liam's still grumpy, Hudson and Maddie are the most wholesome couple around, and Grant is still...Grant.
I'm a bitter, petty woman, but the only thing I would've LOVE to see go down in the story that wasn't there was some good ol' justice being served from the car accident. It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story overall, I just wanted to see someone get locked away for doing something so stupid and reckless and feel some schadenfreude from it all.
Chelsea Curto. The woman that you are. She's consistently outdone herself with every new book in the D.C. Stars series that comes out, and I'm so proud to say that I've been with her since almost the beginning of the D.C. Stars series. I'm constantly amazed at the things she's able to do, and Hat Trick was one of my 2025 most anticipated releases that met my expectations. Chelsea Curto is officially on my auto-read list, and I can't wait for Coach's book to come out in November!
⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Trigger/content warnings (thank you to Chelsea Curto for providing these at the beginning of the book!): Explicit language, alcohol consumption, explicit sex scenes (probably a 3.5/5 on the scale in my opinion, but I know this is subjective based on everyone's personal tastes) that includes breath play and rope play, mention of infertility (via a side character), loss of a limb by a main character (off-page, detailed), mentions of depression and suicidal thoughts had by a main character, mention of a drunk driver, on-page car accident, continuous rehabilitation of an amputated limb
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (5/27/2025): Happy release day to Hat Trick!💜🏒⛸️ I'm so excited to start this, and I'm 100% aware that I'm reading 4 other books right now. I'm making progress on all of them, I swear! I'm just the kind of person who sees "Chelsea Curto" on a book and immediately drops everything else to read it.
Tropes:
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (5/14/2025:) OMG the cover reveal has my heart🥹💜🪻Can’t wait to read this later this month!
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (2/27/2025:) I’m literally foaming at the mouth waiting for this book to drop. May 27th can’t come sooner; I’ve been waiting for Riley and Lexi’s book for too long! (Their sexual tension is off the charts)
"So many things have been almost impossible for me the night my life changed, but Lexi? Lexi is the easiest part of every day."
⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Chelsea Curto has done it again. When I mean "it," I mean create an amazing story with lovable characters you want to root for, the right amount of spice balanced with heart, bringing more awareness to women in a male-dominated sports world, and writing that makes you constantly want the next book in the series to come out sooner rather than later.
Riley Mitchell is at the top of the world. He plays for a Stanley Cup-winning team, he reads his books, loves his friends, and things couldn't possibly be better. When a horrible car accident leaves him with an above-the-knee amputation, his happy-go-lucky, ray of sunshine personality that everyone loves disappears. Enter Lexi Armstrong, the D.C. Stars' physical therapist, who is determined to not only get Riley back on the ice, but get him back to his old self, too. When a friends-with-benefits situation off the ice and the rehab room comes about, and possibly turns into something more, will they be able to commit to each other in the long run?
I think this review will make more sense if I talk about Riley and Lexi separately, so let's get into it!
જ⁀➴ ♡ Riley: His POV had me tearing up by Chapter 7. This is probably the darkest book of the D.C. Stars series to date, and I love the amount of care and attention Chelsea Curto put into doing research on amputees, finding sensitivity readers for this topic, and looking to Paralympic athletes as a source of inspiration. Considering all that Riley has been through in the beginning of the book, I wanted to give him a hug the entire time. I could feel his hurt, rage, sadness, and depression coming out at me through my screen and I was rooting for him the entire time to make a comeback. His grief and recovery wasn't a linear process by any means, and I love that his rehabilitation process was portrayed in a realistic light. He had his good days and his bad, and watching him improve as the book progressed was so satisfying to read.
He was the definition of a pure cinnamon roll character. Like, COME ON! He wears glasses, reads romance books, paints, buys Lexi her favorite flowers? Chelsea Curto's MMCs never fail to impress me with how many green flags they have. I've yet to find one I didn't like. (P.S. It's always the nice, quiet ones that have a freaky side to them😂)
જ⁀➴ ♡ Lexi: First off, we love a healthcare girly! Lexi is a physical therapist, and add on the fact that she's the only woman in a male-dominated space, I love the fight she had in her to make sure her voice was heard. The amount of research and care she put in to make sure Riley had the best rehabilitation journey possible just shows how much she not only loves her job, but how much she cares about Riley (and the other players!). We also love a woman who's comfortable in her sexuality and knows what she wants.
I love how Chelsea Curto continues to write badass, female characters that are constantly breaking the glass ceiling in a male-dominated world. We have Emmy playing in the NHL, Piper being a lead reporter for the Stars, Lexi as a PT in men's hockey and the implications and intricacies she has to tiptoe around to keep her job, and even the characters that aren't even in the book yet like Amelia, an NHL coach for another team, are all here breaking the mold and defying the expectations of everyone around them. I can't wait to see what the D.C. Stars women have in store next!
જ⁀➴ ♡ Lexi and Riley together: I think they're my favorite D.C. Stars couple so far. I know I say this with every book that comes out in this series, but I think Riley is my new favorite Stars player. (Sorry, Liam.) The way that both of them went out of their way to make each other's days and smile—the flowers, the donuts, the book recommendations—I loved the little acts of service each of them would do. Oh, and Riley's napkin bucket list? That was the cutest thing I've seen. I also gotta mention. The PINING AND YEARNING from Riley?! This was like, 4 books in the making. He was so down bad before Lexi even knew it and we love a man who falls first.
Bonus points go towards all the other D.C. Stars characters and their cameos! I loved seeing Emmy and Maverick still head over heels for each other (Mav will always be Emmy's pretty boy hehe), Ethan's still obsessed with hot dogs (I feel like there's a backstory to this LOL), Liam's still grumpy, Hudson and Maddie are the most wholesome couple around, and Grant is still...Grant.
I'm a bitter, petty woman, but the only thing I would've LOVE to see go down in the story that wasn't there was some good ol' justice being served from the car accident. It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story overall, I just wanted to see someone get locked away for doing something so stupid and reckless and feel some schadenfreude from it all.
Chelsea Curto. The woman that you are. She's consistently outdone herself with every new book in the D.C. Stars series that comes out, and I'm so proud to say that I've been with her since almost the beginning of the D.C. Stars series. I'm constantly amazed at the things she's able to do, and Hat Trick was one of my 2025 most anticipated releases that met my expectations. Chelsea Curto is officially on my auto-read list, and I can't wait for Coach's book to come out in November!
⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Trigger/content warnings (thank you to Chelsea Curto for providing these at the beginning of the book!): Explicit language, alcohol consumption, explicit sex scenes (probably a 3.5/5 on the scale in my opinion, but I know this is subjective based on everyone's personal tastes) that includes breath play and rope play, mention of infertility (via a side character), loss of a limb by a main character (off-page, detailed), mentions of depression and suicidal thoughts had by a main character, mention of a drunk driver, on-page car accident, continuous rehabilitation of an amputated limb
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (5/27/2025): Happy release day to Hat Trick!💜🏒⛸️ I'm so excited to start this, and I'm 100% aware that I'm reading 4 other books right now. I'm making progress on all of them, I swear! I'm just the kind of person who sees "Chelsea Curto" on a book and immediately drops everything else to read it.
Tropes:
⋆˙⟡♡ Injury rehabilitation
⋆˙⟡♡ Sunshine X former sunshine
⋆˙⟡♡ Friends with benefits
⋆˙⟡♡ Forced proximity
⋆˙⟡♡ Boy obsessed
⋆˙⟡♡ Hockey player X trainer
⋆˙⟡♡ "Just once to get it out of our systems"
⋆˙⟡♡ Tiny age gap (he's 26, she's 32)
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (5/14/2025:) OMG the cover reveal has my heart🥹💜🪻Can’t wait to read this later this month!
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (2/27/2025:) I’m literally foaming at the mouth waiting for this book to drop. May 27th can’t come sooner; I’ve been waiting for Riley and Lexi’s book for too long! (Their sexual tension is off the charts)
December 20, 2025
This is, by far, my favourite book in this series!!
Riley's and Lexi's story made so emotional. It made me laugh and also cry, it made me giggle and kick my feet and bite my knuckles too!!
Riley was so kind and brave and his struggles made me cry so much, he deserves the world. Seeing his fight with depression after losing his leg hit me so hard and I love the way it was represented. He truly saw Lexi, he listened and noticed everything and he showed her what a true partner is. He's, honestly, one of my favourite MMCs ever!! Also, it's always the quite ones..
Lexi was independent and strong and I loved how free she was. She was such an amazing friend and seeing her being loved the right way and how Riley showed her what a relationship can be, was so special. I understand her apprehension towards relationship, but I'm so happy she had Riley, he always understood her and never tried to change her.
Their story was absolutely wonderful and hopeful, full of healing and heart. They were friends first and then friends with benefits and then started their relationship and that was the perfect progression for them. I loved the life list, the limes, the nachos, the book and the skates, all the therapy sessions, their moments of honesty, the sleepovers and the non-dates, but especially the amusement park, the constellation and the date.. She was there for Riley and she truly helped him and when she let him take care of her when she was sick, it was everything..
The team was even more perfect in this book. It made so emotional seeing them be there for Riley. The skating and the driving, it was both emotional and hilarious, they are the best!! I always look forward to the chat, it never disappoints and this book made me so much more excited for Grant's and Ethan's book.
The girls, as always, were absolutely amazing, they are truly the best possible friends you could ever ask for.. They are truly each others soulmates!!
Now it's time for Brody, this book made me love him so much more. Seeing him connect with Riley and how he helped him was so incredible, I can't wait for his book!!
Riley's and Lexi's story made so emotional. It made me laugh and also cry, it made me giggle and kick my feet and bite my knuckles too!!
Riley was so kind and brave and his struggles made me cry so much, he deserves the world. Seeing his fight with depression after losing his leg hit me so hard and I love the way it was represented. He truly saw Lexi, he listened and noticed everything and he showed her what a true partner is. He's, honestly, one of my favourite MMCs ever!! Also, it's always the quite ones..
Lexi was independent and strong and I loved how free she was. She was such an amazing friend and seeing her being loved the right way and how Riley showed her what a relationship can be, was so special. I understand her apprehension towards relationship, but I'm so happy she had Riley, he always understood her and never tried to change her.
Their story was absolutely wonderful and hopeful, full of healing and heart. They were friends first and then friends with benefits and then started their relationship and that was the perfect progression for them. I loved the life list, the limes, the nachos, the book and the skates, all the therapy sessions, their moments of honesty, the sleepovers and the non-dates, but especially the amusement park, the constellation and the date.. She was there for Riley and she truly helped him and when she let him take care of her when she was sick, it was everything..
The team was even more perfect in this book. It made so emotional seeing them be there for Riley. The skating and the driving, it was both emotional and hilarious, they are the best!! I always look forward to the chat, it never disappoints and this book made me so much more excited for Grant's and Ethan's book.
The girls, as always, were absolutely amazing, they are truly the best possible friends you could ever ask for.. They are truly each others soulmates!!
Now it's time for Brody, this book made me love him so much more. Seeing him connect with Riley and how he helped him was so incredible, I can't wait for his book!!
December 18, 2025
⭑.ᐟ4.25 stars
⤷ ✰ spoiler-free review ⋮ ᰔ
"I love you so much it fucking hurts, and I know that scares the shit out of you. It scares me too, because how can things be this fucking good with you when the rest of my life is in shambles?" ₊˚ෆ
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊tropes ٠࣪⭑
› hockey player x athletic trainer
› injury rehabilitation
› forced proximity
› found family
› friends with benefits
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊thoughts ٠࣪⭑
Hat Trick was definitely the heaviest and most emotional book in this series so far and I loved it so much. it had me bawling and then giggling just a few chapters apart from each other and I was eating it tf up. I was very sure that this one would be a 5 star in the beginning but after a bit of reflecting, this definitely wasn't 5 star material for me but I did still love it nonetheless.
I feel like something with all of these books is there are a lot of repeat scenes in each one. for example, in the first 2 and then this one, the fmc gets sick and the boy takes care of them. it's adorable don't get me wrong, but it's beginning to feel a bit too repetitive. the spice scenes in this book also had me cringing a little too hard and a little too much at some points as well.
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊characters ٠࣪⭑
riley mitchell 💪🏼
I wanna be yours -arctic monkeys
so Riley taught me that I am no better than a man because imagining him in his big sexy nerd glasses?! oooo 😮💨 no but I loved Riley soooo much. it was so hard to see his mental health decline as much as it did at certain points and what he went through in this is just unfathomable. he is such a golden retriever boy and he truly deserves the whole world. I loved getting to see him overcome whatever obstacles were thrown in his way and I wanted to just reach through my kindle and squeeze tf out of him the entire time.
lexi armstrong 👑
do it like a dude -jessie j
QUEEN! Lexi is the baddest bitch and I loved everything about her. she is determined to prove to the world that she can do anything a man can do, AND do it better. she is definitely a huge inspiration, especially because I'm in school for exactly what she has a degree in and I love seeing a women work in male dominated fields and hold their own while doing it. she cares so strongly for her loved ones and that really showed through her determination to help Riley and with the way she speaks so highly of her girls.
riley + lexi ❤️🔥
FCKN IN LOVE -fefe dobson
these two gave me allll the feels especially because I actually cannot get over how infatuated riley is with lexi. I LOVE IT. y'all this man hasn't dated a girl since he met lexi years ago because he knew no one would compare to her. these two compliment each other perfectly and they had me laughing so much over the dumbest little things because they just made me so giddy constantly. the dates they went on were adorable too and I loved their whole "good day" check-ins as well. my shaylas fr 🥹
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊quotes ٠࣪⭑
“You want to know why I’ve had all those good days? Because you were there. Because I’ve been an idiotic, pathetic mess of a man since the first day I saw you. I can’t think straight when you’re around. I can’t walk right when you smile at me. I can’t… I can’t fucking breathe unless you’re looking at me. And everything in your past might have fallen apart, but we won’t. We can’t, because deep down, I know you love me too”
“If you want to run, I’ll chase you. If you want to build a wall to keep me out, I’ll climb it. If you need time, I’ll give it to you. I’m patient, Lexi. I’m going to be waiting for you when you come back. However long that takes.”
“We have to take care of each other, you know? Too much shit going on in this world to not have love in our hearts"
“I’ve been broken for months. Half of who I used to be physically and mentally, but when I’m with her, it feels like I’m on my way to being whole again. Every laugh of hers is a stitch that sews the busted-up, ugly parts of me back together. Every smile is a balm to the aches that linger around, and little by little, I’m on my way to being who I used to be.”
“Funny how all my good days include her.”
“God forbid someone likes to pretend they’re in a fictional world”
“The romance books I read are right: having a guy turn a little unhinged and defend your honor is sexy as hell.”
“You can have me however you want,” I whisper back to her. Take my whole fucking heart while you’re at it.”
“I wish I had the balls of a mediocre white man who thinks he’s hot shit. I’d be unstoppable.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t die the night of the accident. If I did, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see the real heaven that is Lexi in her gold dress.”
“Not every day can be sunshine and rainbows. A lot of days suck, but you got out of bed today.”
lastly, thank you to my lovely girls madi and har for reading this one with me! it's always a great time with you both 💜
*ੈ✩‧₊˚--pre read 🪻
I'm finally getting around to the fourth book and the timing is honestly perfect because the next book comes out so soon! once again, I'm buddy reading this with my two angels, har & madi 💌 I love you both so much & I'm so excited to be continuing this series with my fav yappers😛
⤷ ✰ spoiler-free review ⋮ ᰔ
"I love you so much it fucking hurts, and I know that scares the shit out of you. It scares me too, because how can things be this fucking good with you when the rest of my life is in shambles?" ₊˚ෆ
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊tropes ٠࣪⭑
› hockey player x athletic trainer
› injury rehabilitation
› forced proximity
› found family
› friends with benefits
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊thoughts ٠࣪⭑
Hat Trick was definitely the heaviest and most emotional book in this series so far and I loved it so much. it had me bawling and then giggling just a few chapters apart from each other and I was eating it tf up. I was very sure that this one would be a 5 star in the beginning but after a bit of reflecting, this definitely wasn't 5 star material for me but I did still love it nonetheless.
I feel like something with all of these books is there are a lot of repeat scenes in each one. for example, in the first 2 and then this one, the fmc gets sick and the boy takes care of them. it's adorable don't get me wrong, but it's beginning to feel a bit too repetitive. the spice scenes in this book also had me cringing a little too hard and a little too much at some points as well.
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊characters ٠࣪⭑
riley mitchell 💪🏼
I wanna be yours -arctic monkeys
so Riley taught me that I am no better than a man because imagining him in his big sexy nerd glasses?! oooo 😮💨 no but I loved Riley soooo much. it was so hard to see his mental health decline as much as it did at certain points and what he went through in this is just unfathomable. he is such a golden retriever boy and he truly deserves the whole world. I loved getting to see him overcome whatever obstacles were thrown in his way and I wanted to just reach through my kindle and squeeze tf out of him the entire time.
lexi armstrong 👑
do it like a dude -jessie j
QUEEN! Lexi is the baddest bitch and I loved everything about her. she is determined to prove to the world that she can do anything a man can do, AND do it better. she is definitely a huge inspiration, especially because I'm in school for exactly what she has a degree in and I love seeing a women work in male dominated fields and hold their own while doing it. she cares so strongly for her loved ones and that really showed through her determination to help Riley and with the way she speaks so highly of her girls.
riley + lexi ❤️🔥
FCKN IN LOVE -fefe dobson
these two gave me allll the feels especially because I actually cannot get over how infatuated riley is with lexi. I LOVE IT. y'all this man hasn't dated a girl since he met lexi years ago because he knew no one would compare to her. these two compliment each other perfectly and they had me laughing so much over the dumbest little things because they just made me so giddy constantly. the dates they went on were adorable too and I loved their whole "good day" check-ins as well. my shaylas fr 🥹
⏦ﾟ♡︎ ┊quotes ٠࣪⭑
“You want to know why I’ve had all those good days? Because you were there. Because I’ve been an idiotic, pathetic mess of a man since the first day I saw you. I can’t think straight when you’re around. I can’t walk right when you smile at me. I can’t… I can’t fucking breathe unless you’re looking at me. And everything in your past might have fallen apart, but we won’t. We can’t, because deep down, I know you love me too”
“If you want to run, I’ll chase you. If you want to build a wall to keep me out, I’ll climb it. If you need time, I’ll give it to you. I’m patient, Lexi. I’m going to be waiting for you when you come back. However long that takes.”
“We have to take care of each other, you know? Too much shit going on in this world to not have love in our hearts"
“I’ve been broken for months. Half of who I used to be physically and mentally, but when I’m with her, it feels like I’m on my way to being whole again. Every laugh of hers is a stitch that sews the busted-up, ugly parts of me back together. Every smile is a balm to the aches that linger around, and little by little, I’m on my way to being who I used to be.”
“Funny how all my good days include her.”
“God forbid someone likes to pretend they’re in a fictional world”
“The romance books I read are right: having a guy turn a little unhinged and defend your honor is sexy as hell.”
“You can have me however you want,” I whisper back to her. Take my whole fucking heart while you’re at it.”
“I wish I had the balls of a mediocre white man who thinks he’s hot shit. I’d be unstoppable.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t die the night of the accident. If I did, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see the real heaven that is Lexi in her gold dress.”
“Not every day can be sunshine and rainbows. A lot of days suck, but you got out of bed today.”
lastly, thank you to my lovely girls madi and har for reading this one with me! it's always a great time with you both 💜
*ੈ✩‧₊˚--pre read 🪻
I'm finally getting around to the fourth book and the timing is honestly perfect because the next book comes out so soon! once again, I'm buddy reading this with my two angels, har & madi 💌 I love you both so much & I'm so excited to be continuing this series with my fav yappers😛
December 5, 2025
✎ᝰ. 3,25☆
"𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦."
𝘓𝘦𝘹𝘪 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘟 𝘙𝘪𝘙𝘪 💜🦿
Okay, this book honestly had an amazing start. It was different, emotional, and so impactful — especially with the way it dealt with depression and a suicide attempt. 💔 That part really hurt my heart, but it also made me excited to read more because it felt meaningful.
Lexi is officially my favorite FMC in the series so far. She’s brave, bold in her thoughts, and she knows how to express what she wants so easily. And Riley? He definitely became my top MMC. His shy, quiet personality in public versus his controlling, dominant side in private… yeah, I did not expect that from him at all 👀🔥
But after that strong beginning, things started to get repetitive. The whole “random guy tries to flirt with Lexi → Riley shows up and pushes him away” happened three times, and it really annoyed me 😭. Like… is there nothing else we can add instead of repeating the same scene?
And honestly, I was terrified Lexi would reveal some guy hurt her just for Riley to go all revenge mode — because that already happened in the previous books, and I hated it. If it happened again here, I swear I would’ve disliked the book so much.
Even when Lexi got sick… it was literally the same scene as book one, and it just wasn’t as enjoyable this time. The ending also followed the same pattern as every other book in the series, which made it feel predictable, and all of this made the book long for a romance. At some point, it even got a bit… boring 🥲
Another thing I didn’t like was the complete lack of privacy between all the friends — Maverick, Hudson, Liam, Riley, Ethan, Grant… The group chats and conversations were fun at first, but after a while they became too much. I stopped enjoying them the way I initially did.
Oh, and the spicy chapters? I skipped most of them 😭🔥 Because they talk too much. And I really hate that. Less talking, more doing — that’s how it should be 🫣
But despite all of this, I was genuinely so, so happy for Riley. His return to skating 🏒, even if it wasn’t with his team or friends, still meant a lot. Watching him go through failure, repetition, trying again, succeeding, falling back, and still pushing until he made it in the end… that made me proud of him. Truly. 🥹💜
Overall: It had a powerful beginning and characters I loved, but the repetition and predictable patterns held it back. Still, Riley’s growth and journey made the experience worth it. 💜🏒🦿
જ⁀➴♡ |𝑃𝑟𝑒-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑🏒
Since book five is almost here, I finally picked up Hat Trick. The beginning is already painful… but wow, I adore Riley already. I really hope I end up enjoying it 💜🦿
"𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦."
𝘓𝘦𝘹𝘪 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘟 𝘙𝘪𝘙𝘪 💜🦿
Okay, this book honestly had an amazing start. It was different, emotional, and so impactful — especially with the way it dealt with depression and a suicide attempt. 💔 That part really hurt my heart, but it also made me excited to read more because it felt meaningful.
Lexi is officially my favorite FMC in the series so far. She’s brave, bold in her thoughts, and she knows how to express what she wants so easily. And Riley? He definitely became my top MMC. His shy, quiet personality in public versus his controlling, dominant side in private… yeah, I did not expect that from him at all 👀🔥
But after that strong beginning, things started to get repetitive. The whole “random guy tries to flirt with Lexi → Riley shows up and pushes him away” happened three times, and it really annoyed me 😭. Like… is there nothing else we can add instead of repeating the same scene?
And honestly, I was terrified Lexi would reveal some guy hurt her just for Riley to go all revenge mode — because that already happened in the previous books, and I hated it. If it happened again here, I swear I would’ve disliked the book so much.
Even when Lexi got sick… it was literally the same scene as book one, and it just wasn’t as enjoyable this time. The ending also followed the same pattern as every other book in the series, which made it feel predictable, and all of this made the book long for a romance. At some point, it even got a bit… boring 🥲
Another thing I didn’t like was the complete lack of privacy between all the friends — Maverick, Hudson, Liam, Riley, Ethan, Grant… The group chats and conversations were fun at first, but after a while they became too much. I stopped enjoying them the way I initially did.
Oh, and the spicy chapters? I skipped most of them 😭🔥 Because they talk too much. And I really hate that. Less talking, more doing — that’s how it should be 🫣
But despite all of this, I was genuinely so, so happy for Riley. His return to skating 🏒, even if it wasn’t with his team or friends, still meant a lot. Watching him go through failure, repetition, trying again, succeeding, falling back, and still pushing until he made it in the end… that made me proud of him. Truly. 🥹💜
Overall: It had a powerful beginning and characters I loved, but the repetition and predictable patterns held it back. Still, Riley’s growth and journey made the experience worth it. 💜🏒🦿
જ⁀➴♡ |𝑃𝑟𝑒-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑🏒
Since book five is almost here, I finally picked up Hat Trick. The beginning is already painful… but wow, I adore Riley already. I really hope I end up enjoying it 💜🦿
May 28, 2025
“𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓.”
Damn, this book was powerful. I don’t know if it was because I was in the mood for some vulnerability, but these characters brought it and I loved every second. 5 freaking stars. 🌟
Let me start by saying this series always pulls at my heartstrings. It not only brings the romance we all love, but getting to know the characters from book one and watching them grow and evolve with each book makes it easy to feel like coming home. And FINALLYYYY, Lexi and Riley get their story and wow, it was everything I wanted for them and more 💘
A little summary: Riley suffers an accident that results in him losing his leg, and in comes Head Athletic Trainer Lexi to help him with rehabilitation. The way their friendship blossoms through these sessions and slowly turns into something more... AGHHH. 😭
Lexi is so independent and strong. She’s convinced no man can ever live up to her standards (because men always disappoint) until she realizes Riley keeps proving her wrong again and again. From the tiniest gestures to the quiet support, he’s always there. And honestly, that’s the best kind of love: one that listens, notices, and shows up ❤️ He is such a good boy hhehe and please i'm obsessed he wears glasses too.
Love isn’t a straight line, and this book proves just how many ways it can grow day by day, moment by moment. Riley has my whole 💜 He’s been obsessed with Lexi forever, and she only seen him as a friend… until she doesn’t. That “finally, you’re looking at me” moment? Pure magic as a reader ✨
I adored how this book didn’t just give me the pretty parts, but it gave us the messy, the hard, the healing, and obviously the happiness. And the dual POV? It elevated the entire experience. I felt everything!!!!
Also, shoutout to the group chats and the humor Chelsea Curto brings into this book it’s perfection. I was literally gasping at one of those chats 😂 DUNDUN!
Final thoughts? This isn’t just a love story. It’s a story of resilience, quiet strength, and what it means to show up for someone when it matters most. It made me laugh, swoon, and feel teary at one point. If you’ve been following this series, you’re in for a beautiful, emotional payoff. If you haven’t started yet… what are you waiting for?!!!!! PLEASE.
tropes
💜 sports romance
💜 rehabilitation rep
💜 age gap (she's older)
💜 friends with benefit
💜 sunshine x former sunshine
💜 forced proximity
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ and we back to my one of my fav hockey series the way Chelsea writes her MEN 🙂↕️🔥 I can’t wait for Rileyyyy and Lexiiiiii
Damn, this book was powerful. I don’t know if it was because I was in the mood for some vulnerability, but these characters brought it and I loved every second. 5 freaking stars. 🌟
Let me start by saying this series always pulls at my heartstrings. It not only brings the romance we all love, but getting to know the characters from book one and watching them grow and evolve with each book makes it easy to feel like coming home. And FINALLYYYY, Lexi and Riley get their story and wow, it was everything I wanted for them and more 💘
A little summary: Riley suffers an accident that results in him losing his leg, and in comes Head Athletic Trainer Lexi to help him with rehabilitation. The way their friendship blossoms through these sessions and slowly turns into something more... AGHHH. 😭
Lexi is so independent and strong. She’s convinced no man can ever live up to her standards (because men always disappoint) until she realizes Riley keeps proving her wrong again and again. From the tiniest gestures to the quiet support, he’s always there. And honestly, that’s the best kind of love: one that listens, notices, and shows up ❤️ He is such a good boy hhehe and please i'm obsessed he wears glasses too.
Love isn’t a straight line, and this book proves just how many ways it can grow day by day, moment by moment. Riley has my whole 💜 He’s been obsessed with Lexi forever, and she only seen him as a friend… until she doesn’t. That “finally, you’re looking at me” moment? Pure magic as a reader ✨
I adored how this book didn’t just give me the pretty parts, but it gave us the messy, the hard, the healing, and obviously the happiness. And the dual POV? It elevated the entire experience. I felt everything!!!!
Also, shoutout to the group chats and the humor Chelsea Curto brings into this book it’s perfection. I was literally gasping at one of those chats 😂 DUNDUN!
Final thoughts? This isn’t just a love story. It’s a story of resilience, quiet strength, and what it means to show up for someone when it matters most. It made me laugh, swoon, and feel teary at one point. If you’ve been following this series, you’re in for a beautiful, emotional payoff. If you haven’t started yet… what are you waiting for?!!!!! PLEASE.
tropes
💜 sports romance
💜 rehabilitation rep
💜 age gap (she's older)
💜 friends with benefit
💜 sunshine x former sunshine
💜 forced proximity
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ and we back to my one of my fav hockey series the way Chelsea writes her MEN 🙂↕️🔥 I can’t wait for Rileyyyy and Lexiiiiii
May 31, 2025
The performative feminism/independent woman/girl bossery by the FMC had me flying off the handle and on the verge of buying a MAGA hat. Riley was cute though
December 31, 2025
┆ ⤿ 💌 ⌗ started: november 28, finished december 5
absolute perfection as usual! this was def a 5 star read <3
── .✦ pre-read 🍇🏒⭐️
guess what time it is!! finally continuing my fave series in time for sin bin 🤭 and also! i’m reading this with my favourite girls aislinn & madi 🤍 i love you both so so much and i'm geniunely so happy we’re reading this series together 🫂
absolute perfection as usual! this was def a 5 star read <3
── .✦ pre-read 🍇🏒⭐️
guess what time it is!! finally continuing my fave series in time for sin bin 🤭 and also! i’m reading this with my favourite girls aislinn & madi 🤍 i love you both so so much and i'm geniunely so happy we’re reading this series together 🫂
June 5, 2025
a cute book, full of spice and my adorable nerdy not so shy guy riley 🩷 but at the same time underwhelming & just feels different from the previous books on the series and i’m sooo conflicted on how i feel about hat trick tbh
i’m not so sure if in the previews books there was, but in this one there was just sooooo many feminism/ “girls-girl” references that unfortunately made me roll my eyes because let’s be honest, im not even sure if lexi actually is what she claims to be. lexi’s whole character and story felt really one-dimensional to me, i feel like she has no life, no plot besides helping riley and i truly hate when the fmcs whole character is centered around the mmc. we don’t see any depth of her connection with the other girls like the previews books, we don’t know anything about her previous life, we don’t know anything about her family and I couldn’t tell you anything she’s interested besides pilates and riley’s dick 😭 i truly feel like I don’t know her AT ALL
the “romance” was cute in general but i feel like riley deserved better. he absolutely adored & worshipped lexi, had been pinning over her forever, he was so kind and patient 🩷 despite everything he went through he was all in with her, but the whole “just sex” made me feel like they didn’t even knew each other and unfortunately i didn’t feel much chemistry between them, the whole spice “friends with benefits” did take away from the story but that’s all that lexi wants anyway 🙃 i think the book dragged on quite a bit compared to the others & i wanted more romantic development between them that isn’t just spice
overall it’s a cute normal book with lots of spice but kinda underwhelming too, riley’s pov was def my favorite and the whole group messages with the guys was adorable!! i love them & the whole found family
rating the books
1. slap shot
2. face off
3. power play
4. hat trick
——————————————
pre read review:
LEXI AND RILEY!!!!!! give it to me 🤲🤲 also the art the author posted of them????? THEYRE GORGEOUS
i’m not so sure if in the previews books there was, but in this one there was just sooooo many feminism/ “girls-girl” references that unfortunately made me roll my eyes because let’s be honest, im not even sure if lexi actually is what she claims to be. lexi’s whole character and story felt really one-dimensional to me, i feel like she has no life, no plot besides helping riley and i truly hate when the fmcs whole character is centered around the mmc. we don’t see any depth of her connection with the other girls like the previews books, we don’t know anything about her previous life, we don’t know anything about her family and I couldn’t tell you anything she’s interested besides pilates and riley’s dick 😭 i truly feel like I don’t know her AT ALL
the “romance” was cute in general but i feel like riley deserved better. he absolutely adored & worshipped lexi, had been pinning over her forever, he was so kind and patient 🩷 despite everything he went through he was all in with her, but the whole “just sex” made me feel like they didn’t even knew each other and unfortunately i didn’t feel much chemistry between them, the whole spice “friends with benefits” did take away from the story but that’s all that lexi wants anyway 🙃 i think the book dragged on quite a bit compared to the others & i wanted more romantic development between them that isn’t just spice
overall it’s a cute normal book with lots of spice but kinda underwhelming too, riley’s pov was def my favorite and the whole group messages with the guys was adorable!! i love them & the whole found family
rating the books
1. slap shot
2. face off
3. power play
4. hat trick
——————————————
pre read review:
LEXI AND RILEY!!!!!! give it to me 🤲🤲 also the art the author posted of them????? THEYRE GORGEOUS
December 21, 2025
"For the ones who fight even when they want to give up. I’m rooting for you."
By book 4 I thought I had a fairly good idea of Lexi’s personality and was curious to see how this story would play out…I expected mischief would be on the cards 😈
I was WRONG.
What I didn’t expect was a heartbreaking, and powerful story full of deep emotion 😥💔 Chelsea totally blew my mind (once again) with this one, and I have a feeling it is going to stay with me for a long time.
This series has been an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least. Each and every book has pulled at my heartstrings in its own way. Getting to know all of the characters has been a journey, and by this stage I honestly feel like they are real people. The depth and complexity of every single character runs so deep in my heart. I had no idea what this book would bring but I will say be sure to read the content warning beforehand because it deals with some unexpected and heavy topics.
On a lighter note, this story is full of fun moments, along with both original and classic tropes. I loved the hockey player (Riley) x trainer (Lexi) dynamic that was unique in that it included injury rehabilitation. After a near fatal car accident, Riley’s injuries cause him to loose a leg from above the knee. He struggles with his identity - Who is he away from the ice? Enter: Lexi’s rehabilitation program. Of course this led to forced proximity…which led to friendship…followed by ‘friends’ with benefits…you know the rest 😏💖✨
Lexi is an admirable character. She is incredibly strong, determined and caring. She is also a sarcastic ray of sunshine 😂 I didn’t find her as instantly likeable and relatable as the other FCs in this series but that doesn’t take away from the fact she is an amazing character. She may be a little prickly, especially when it comes to men, but she treats Riley with so much kindness and support 🥰
“I’m going to get him skating again,” I whisper to Piper and Emmy. “Lex, I don’t—” “Hockey is his whole life.” I stare at the doors leading to the patient rooms. “I’ll work with him. We’ll do it together.” I’ve always been a determined bitch. Once I put my mind to something, I don’t stop until it happens, and I’ll be damned if Riley goes down without a fight." 🤜🏽
Oh Riley. He is such a loveable character. He is courteous and cute. Quiet, easygoing, and unbelievably sweet. There is also a bashful shy tone to him that made my heart melt 🫶🏽
"Funny how all my good days include her." 🥲
Just like recovering, relationships aren’t linear. There’s no direct route from point A to B, which is a new normal. ‘It’s more like rolling hills and valleys. There will be highs and lows, but they lead to the same place.’ 🙌🏽 This slow burning romance is the epitome of that. While Riley has had a major crush on Lexi from day 1, she takes a lot longer to come to that magic moment. But when she does? Pure bliss 😌 Of all the characters, it was SO nice to see Lexi FINALLY opening up and allowing herself to be with somebody that deeply cares for her. Plus their witty banter, fun dates, and late night chats were so precious. I am sure of one thing: this pair were made for each other.
I think the team deserve a big shout-out. The way they showed up for Riley all the way along was so heartwarming. Even when Riley was in the midst of his deepest darkest depression, their brother-hood was unbreakable. Throughout the journey, they were there, front and centre. There were endless small and big moments that they shared together and it was so sweet to witness. The found family feel is definitely one of my favourite things about this series.
“Hudson said they’re my brothers, and he’s right. We’ve all seen each other at our highest highs and lowest lows, and if I can’t be myself around them, I’m never going to want to be myself around anyone." 🥹✨
Overall, this was a remarkable book. It must have taken a lot of time and research of Chelsea’s behalf to pull off a book like this. This is not just a love story. It runs so much deeper. The complexity with which she portrays each character and scene is amazing. Furthermore, the strength and determination Riley showed through his rehabilitation journey was admirable, insightful, and inspiring. This truly is a story of resilience, strength, and what it means to show up for someone when they need you the most. Tears were definitely shed 😭
“The longer you let what happened consume you, the longer everything else in your life is going to suck. You have to mourn it. Loathe it. But then you have to learn you’re so much more than this injury."
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
By book 4 I thought I had a fairly good idea of Lexi’s personality and was curious to see how this story would play out…I expected mischief would be on the cards 😈
I was WRONG.
What I didn’t expect was a heartbreaking, and powerful story full of deep emotion 😥💔 Chelsea totally blew my mind (once again) with this one, and I have a feeling it is going to stay with me for a long time.
This series has been an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least. Each and every book has pulled at my heartstrings in its own way. Getting to know all of the characters has been a journey, and by this stage I honestly feel like they are real people. The depth and complexity of every single character runs so deep in my heart. I had no idea what this book would bring but I will say be sure to read the content warning beforehand because it deals with some unexpected and heavy topics.
On a lighter note, this story is full of fun moments, along with both original and classic tropes. I loved the hockey player (Riley) x trainer (Lexi) dynamic that was unique in that it included injury rehabilitation. After a near fatal car accident, Riley’s injuries cause him to loose a leg from above the knee. He struggles with his identity - Who is he away from the ice? Enter: Lexi’s rehabilitation program. Of course this led to forced proximity…which led to friendship…followed by ‘friends’ with benefits…you know the rest 😏💖✨
Lexi is an admirable character. She is incredibly strong, determined and caring. She is also a sarcastic ray of sunshine 😂 I didn’t find her as instantly likeable and relatable as the other FCs in this series but that doesn’t take away from the fact she is an amazing character. She may be a little prickly, especially when it comes to men, but she treats Riley with so much kindness and support 🥰
“I’m going to get him skating again,” I whisper to Piper and Emmy. “Lex, I don’t—” “Hockey is his whole life.” I stare at the doors leading to the patient rooms. “I’ll work with him. We’ll do it together.” I’ve always been a determined bitch. Once I put my mind to something, I don’t stop until it happens, and I’ll be damned if Riley goes down without a fight." 🤜🏽
Oh Riley. He is such a loveable character. He is courteous and cute. Quiet, easygoing, and unbelievably sweet. There is also a bashful shy tone to him that made my heart melt 🫶🏽
"Funny how all my good days include her." 🥲
Just like recovering, relationships aren’t linear. There’s no direct route from point A to B, which is a new normal. ‘It’s more like rolling hills and valleys. There will be highs and lows, but they lead to the same place.’ 🙌🏽 This slow burning romance is the epitome of that. While Riley has had a major crush on Lexi from day 1, she takes a lot longer to come to that magic moment. But when she does? Pure bliss 😌 Of all the characters, it was SO nice to see Lexi FINALLY opening up and allowing herself to be with somebody that deeply cares for her. Plus their witty banter, fun dates, and late night chats were so precious. I am sure of one thing: this pair were made for each other.
I think the team deserve a big shout-out. The way they showed up for Riley all the way along was so heartwarming. Even when Riley was in the midst of his deepest darkest depression, their brother-hood was unbreakable. Throughout the journey, they were there, front and centre. There were endless small and big moments that they shared together and it was so sweet to witness. The found family feel is definitely one of my favourite things about this series.
“Hudson said they’re my brothers, and he’s right. We’ve all seen each other at our highest highs and lowest lows, and if I can’t be myself around them, I’m never going to want to be myself around anyone." 🥹✨
Overall, this was a remarkable book. It must have taken a lot of time and research of Chelsea’s behalf to pull off a book like this. This is not just a love story. It runs so much deeper. The complexity with which she portrays each character and scene is amazing. Furthermore, the strength and determination Riley showed through his rehabilitation journey was admirable, insightful, and inspiring. This truly is a story of resilience, strength, and what it means to show up for someone when they need you the most. Tears were definitely shed 😭
“The longer you let what happened consume you, the longer everything else in your life is going to suck. You have to mourn it. Loathe it. But then you have to learn you’re so much more than this injury."
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
May 30, 2025
my critiques:
- such unbelievable dialogue
- no feminist talks how lexi talks. she said she does pilates so she's ready to fight the patriarchy if society collapses... who says that...
- there is not a single reason this book, nor any hockey romance, should be this long
- just poor storytelling that made me not really care for any of the characters
my pros:
i like injured/disabled mmc's ! amnesia, amputation, dyslexia, idc i like it all !
- such unbelievable dialogue
- no feminist talks how lexi talks. she said she does pilates so she's ready to fight the patriarchy if society collapses... who says that...
- there is not a single reason this book, nor any hockey romance, should be this long
- just poor storytelling that made me not really care for any of the characters
my pros:
i like injured/disabled mmc's ! amnesia, amputation, dyslexia, idc i like it all !
June 3, 2025
Everyone who rated this book highly is lying. The FMC is INSUFFERABLE. Her entire personality is that she hates men and finds them useless but is best friends with a bunch of men and then falls in love with one.
Want to read
February 28, 2025OMG??? Already?? I’m so excited for this book. This is the series of unproblematic kings and I love it
July 29, 2025
Another 5 stars for Chelsea💗 I CANNOT WAIT for Coach Saunders book eeeek😁
July 1, 2025
We get it; you’re a feminist. I guess I must not actually be that much of one because I don’t loudly announce it in increasingly cringy ways every 5 minutes. I came here for something cute to read by the pool, not a crash course in 2016 buzzfeed girlboss-ism.
January 6, 2026
My last book in 2025, and it was perfect. Thank you, Chelsea Curto, for writing such a beautiful story for Riley Mitchell & Lexi Armstrong.
In this book, the men’s friendship stole the spotlight. I adore how a bunch of dorks cared, supported and stood by their teammate/friend, who met with a most unfortunate accident. Life was unfair, but Riley never gave up hope.
The driving scene was my absolute favorite, and it spoke volumes about how wonderful Sully, Huddy, G-Money, Ethan, Mavvy and Mitchy were. And not forgetting that ice skating scene when Riley first tried skating for the first time after his accident. With the guys guiding and supporting him all the way, I think I kind of sobbed a little.
Lexi - our strong, resilient, brave and feisty girl. Her walls came crumbling down page by page as Riley hammered away gently but relentlessly. I mean, who wouldn’t?!
I’m so damn ready to meet the tattooed single dad in the next book!
In this book, the men’s friendship stole the spotlight. I adore how a bunch of dorks cared, supported and stood by their teammate/friend, who met with a most unfortunate accident. Life was unfair, but Riley never gave up hope.
The driving scene was my absolute favorite, and it spoke volumes about how wonderful Sully, Huddy, G-Money, Ethan, Mavvy and Mitchy were. And not forgetting that ice skating scene when Riley first tried skating for the first time after his accident. With the guys guiding and supporting him all the way, I think I kind of sobbed a little.
Lexi - our strong, resilient, brave and feisty girl. Her walls came crumbling down page by page as Riley hammered away gently but relentlessly. I mean, who wouldn’t?!
I’m so damn ready to meet the tattooed single dad in the next book!
January 19, 2026
oh yeah…love riley DOWN rtc!
𓂃𓈒𓏸 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 🌷
⤿ ⟡ hat trick, chelsea curto
idk what it is about these books but im DEVOURING THEM. im soso excited for rileys book (but also petrified cause the emotional damage is gonna be TOO MUCH) 🤭
𓂃𓈒𓏸 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 🌷
⤿ ⟡ hat trick, chelsea curto
idk what it is about these books but im DEVOURING THEM. im soso excited for rileys book (but also petrified cause the emotional damage is gonna be TOO MUCH) 🤭
July 8, 2025
2⭐️ Review Preface:
Before I get into the rest of the book, I have to be honest: the writing in Hat Trick crosses some serious lines.
•The “fuck men” feminism is tired.
•Racist generalizations like “mediocre white man” and constant jokes about “white men” aren’t edgy — they’re offensive and racist. And if you replaced it with 'black', 'Latino', 'Asian' etc. etc.. It would be a HUGE PROBLEM. People would go up in flames.
•It’s hypocritical when every single love interest across ALL her series is a straight white man, yet the narrative constantly tears them down.
•Being late to a meeting and then assuming your male boss is a sexist based on a look? That’s not empowerment — that’s PROJECTION.
•Wishing your boss chokes on his breakfast and planning to poison his coffee because he looked at you wrong isn’t bold. It’s bitter.
•And saying “Anything boys can do, girls can do better” after acting unprofessional doesn’t make the character powerful — it just highlights the double standard.
***** It’s not that feminism or female strength don’t belong in books — they do!! But when it’s this forced, this constant, and this smug, it stops being empowering and starts feeling like full-blown propaganda. Like you’re pushing an agenda while I’m just trying to read.
This is a pattern across all of Chelsea Curto’s books: tearing down the type of man she keeps romanticizing.
“I hate men. They’re all mediocre.”
…falls for a strong, protective, emotionally intelligent white man by the end of the book.
Girl. Please. 😭
•Instead of making Lexi look strong, she ends up coming off like a mean, bitter bitch in these moments.
•Riley, the exact kind of man she’s spent the book mocking, is the one she’ll inevitably fall for.
•EVERY OTHER CONVERSATION IS A JAB AT MEN OR A 'GIRL POWER' SERMON WITH NO DEPTH.
And then Chapter 15 sealed it.
Lexi — clearly miserable, hurt, emotionally detached, and sleeping around to avoid vulnerability — sits with her friends and toasts to “a special love no man will ever give us.”
MIND YOU… every woman at that table has a man and is in a stable loving relationship. And instead of calling it what it is — pain — the book labels it as freedom. They call Lexi a “free spirit” like that somehow makes it empowering.
Let’s be honest: Lexi isn’t healed, whole, or powerful. She’s just hurt and pretending it’s a personality. That’s not a love story. That’s not growth. That’s not strength. It’s damage being dressed up and sold to women as empowerment — and I’m not buying it.
I’m done. Riley deserved better. And so did I.
I’m not sure if I’ll keep reading the rest of the series — and that’s the real shame. Because I loved the team Chelsea built. I wanted to know every player’s story. I cared. But now I’m stuck wondering if every future book is going to ask me to sit through the same performative bitterness just to get to the heart. And honestly? I’m not sure it’s worth it anymore.
Before I get into the rest of the book, I have to be honest: the writing in Hat Trick crosses some serious lines.
•The “fuck men” feminism is tired.
•Racist generalizations like “mediocre white man” and constant jokes about “white men” aren’t edgy — they’re offensive and racist. And if you replaced it with 'black', 'Latino', 'Asian' etc. etc.. It would be a HUGE PROBLEM. People would go up in flames.
•It’s hypocritical when every single love interest across ALL her series is a straight white man, yet the narrative constantly tears them down.
•Being late to a meeting and then assuming your male boss is a sexist based on a look? That’s not empowerment — that’s PROJECTION.
•Wishing your boss chokes on his breakfast and planning to poison his coffee because he looked at you wrong isn’t bold. It’s bitter.
•And saying “Anything boys can do, girls can do better” after acting unprofessional doesn’t make the character powerful — it just highlights the double standard.
***** It’s not that feminism or female strength don’t belong in books — they do!! But when it’s this forced, this constant, and this smug, it stops being empowering and starts feeling like full-blown propaganda. Like you’re pushing an agenda while I’m just trying to read.
This is a pattern across all of Chelsea Curto’s books: tearing down the type of man she keeps romanticizing.
“I hate men. They’re all mediocre.”
…falls for a strong, protective, emotionally intelligent white man by the end of the book.
Girl. Please. 😭
•Instead of making Lexi look strong, she ends up coming off like a mean, bitter bitch in these moments.
•Riley, the exact kind of man she’s spent the book mocking, is the one she’ll inevitably fall for.
•EVERY OTHER CONVERSATION IS A JAB AT MEN OR A 'GIRL POWER' SERMON WITH NO DEPTH.
And then Chapter 15 sealed it.
Lexi — clearly miserable, hurt, emotionally detached, and sleeping around to avoid vulnerability — sits with her friends and toasts to “a special love no man will ever give us.”
MIND YOU… every woman at that table has a man and is in a stable loving relationship. And instead of calling it what it is — pain — the book labels it as freedom. They call Lexi a “free spirit” like that somehow makes it empowering.
Let’s be honest: Lexi isn’t healed, whole, or powerful. She’s just hurt and pretending it’s a personality. That’s not a love story. That’s not growth. That’s not strength. It’s damage being dressed up and sold to women as empowerment — and I’m not buying it.
I’m done. Riley deserved better. And so did I.
I’m not sure if I’ll keep reading the rest of the series — and that’s the real shame. Because I loved the team Chelsea built. I wanted to know every player’s story. I cared. But now I’m stuck wondering if every future book is going to ask me to sit through the same performative bitterness just to get to the heart. And honestly? I’m not sure it’s worth it anymore.
January 10, 2026
2.5★
This was a sweet romance with plenty of spice and follows the journey of Riley, who has to learn to live with his amputated limb after a terrible car crash, and goes through rehabilitation with the help of Lexi.
I will say, I feel like this dragged on quite a lot, and a whole load of nothing happens in the middle.
Lexi — I’m not quite sure what to think of Lexi. She didn’t really have much of a personality outside of helping Riley, and she has so many “feminist” or “girls girl” references, but I don’t actually even think she is feminist. Her whole character is revolved around helping Riley and having sex with him. We don’t see any depth of her connection with the other girls, despite them being her best friends who she gets a bloody tattoo for, we don’t know anything about her backstory, she never mentions any family, and I couldn’t tell you a single thing she’s interested in other than Riley’s dick. Being a physical trainer/athletic trainer is such a cool job, and it would have been so interesting to learn more about it, especially being a woman in a male dominated field, but we only read about it when it involves Riley. I would have liked to see scenes of Lexi helping the other teammates, having conversations with them, bonding with them etc. and I also would have liked to see her relationship with the girls more. How is it that they’re her “best friends” but she doesn’t talk to them? She doesn’t even tell them about Riley until like 80% in. Idk I just think Lexi was a very surface level character.
Riley — Gosh, it was weird reading a book where that’s a main characters name because my sister shares the same name lol. Anyway, I liked Riley, and I think his struggles were very realistic. He went from his whole life revolving around hockey, to losing his leg and having to relearn how to walk, let alone skating. I thought his journey was very realistic and something a lot of people who have experienced something similar may be able to relate to. His relationship with his teammates was so pure, and you can tell they really love each other (unlike with Lexi and the girls). They were so patient and understanding with Riley, and so proud of him with every milestone. Their friendship seemed very genuine, and I really liked he had them in his corner.
The Romance — well it was underwhelming. I think Riley deserved better. He had been pining over Lexi for ages (for no reason other than she was hot) and she only wanted him for sex. I mean, gosh, I don’t think they had any deeper conversations that weren’t about Riley’s residual limb or his journey with it. It was all about sex with Riley, and when they finally get into a relationship, I didn’t understand why. It was purely physical and they barely knew anything about each other. It seemed to me that it only progressed from friends with benefits to an exclusive relationship because Lexi didn’t want to lose him or stop having sex with him, which was very disappointing.
I do think this dragged on a lot. While the focus was on Riley’s rehabilitation journey, we also need emotional and romantic development between the main characters that isn’t just spice. It seemed like all of their romance was just their spice scenes (which I found a bit awkward, way too much talking imo) which isn’t a good foundation for a long lasting relationship.
Overall, Riley’s chapters were my favourite, he actually had depth and a personality and friends outside of Lexi, so he was far more realistic and enjoyable.
I did love the limb difference recognition and the portrayal of Riley’s grief, anger, and annoyance with the world and himself. Very realistic.
So it was a cute read, but definitely underwhelming.
Thank you so much to Chelsea Curto for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a sweet romance with plenty of spice and follows the journey of Riley, who has to learn to live with his amputated limb after a terrible car crash, and goes through rehabilitation with the help of Lexi.
I will say, I feel like this dragged on quite a lot, and a whole load of nothing happens in the middle.
Lexi — I’m not quite sure what to think of Lexi. She didn’t really have much of a personality outside of helping Riley, and she has so many “feminist” or “girls girl” references, but I don’t actually even think she is feminist. Her whole character is revolved around helping Riley and having sex with him. We don’t see any depth of her connection with the other girls, despite them being her best friends who she gets a bloody tattoo for, we don’t know anything about her backstory, she never mentions any family, and I couldn’t tell you a single thing she’s interested in other than Riley’s dick. Being a physical trainer/athletic trainer is such a cool job, and it would have been so interesting to learn more about it, especially being a woman in a male dominated field, but we only read about it when it involves Riley. I would have liked to see scenes of Lexi helping the other teammates, having conversations with them, bonding with them etc. and I also would have liked to see her relationship with the girls more. How is it that they’re her “best friends” but she doesn’t talk to them? She doesn’t even tell them about Riley until like 80% in. Idk I just think Lexi was a very surface level character.
Riley — Gosh, it was weird reading a book where that’s a main characters name because my sister shares the same name lol. Anyway, I liked Riley, and I think his struggles were very realistic. He went from his whole life revolving around hockey, to losing his leg and having to relearn how to walk, let alone skating. I thought his journey was very realistic and something a lot of people who have experienced something similar may be able to relate to. His relationship with his teammates was so pure, and you can tell they really love each other (unlike with Lexi and the girls). They were so patient and understanding with Riley, and so proud of him with every milestone. Their friendship seemed very genuine, and I really liked he had them in his corner.
The Romance — well it was underwhelming. I think Riley deserved better. He had been pining over Lexi for ages (for no reason other than she was hot) and she only wanted him for sex. I mean, gosh, I don’t think they had any deeper conversations that weren’t about Riley’s residual limb or his journey with it. It was all about sex with Riley, and when they finally get into a relationship, I didn’t understand why. It was purely physical and they barely knew anything about each other. It seemed to me that it only progressed from friends with benefits to an exclusive relationship because Lexi didn’t want to lose him or stop having sex with him, which was very disappointing.
I do think this dragged on a lot. While the focus was on Riley’s rehabilitation journey, we also need emotional and romantic development between the main characters that isn’t just spice. It seemed like all of their romance was just their spice scenes (which I found a bit awkward, way too much talking imo) which isn’t a good foundation for a long lasting relationship.
Overall, Riley’s chapters were my favourite, he actually had depth and a personality and friends outside of Lexi, so he was far more realistic and enjoyable.
I did love the limb difference recognition and the portrayal of Riley’s grief, anger, and annoyance with the world and himself. Very realistic.
So it was a cute read, but definitely underwhelming.
Thank you so much to Chelsea Curto for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 27, 2025
the dc stars players marked safe from the male loneliness epidemic
January 19, 2026
okay yay that was fun!!! i haven’t read much romance lately in general but sports romances just hold a special place in my heart and it’s been toooo long since i read one. riley & lexi were perfect together, this man had me giggling at 2am in my pitch black bedroom. like actually. i wish i was kidding. and ofc we love an independent woman like lexi. overall great time!!!
but genuinely why was this so LONGGGGGG. and it’s not just this book, contemporary romances seem to think they’re far more substantial than they actually are now. what happened to a fun little 350 page romance book? remember off campus? remember how those weren’t almost 500 pages long? i miss that!!! and while i wasn’t bored or even terribly bothered by the length in this one (482 pages on kindle), it did start dragging closer to the end. which made me so sad bc the slow burn and the chemistry and everything had been so great, and it just stretched itself a little too far. lost its 4.5 star rating honestly.
also am i the only one who feels like some of the dialogue felt sooo inauthentic? very... idk. clinical, if that’s the right word? they’d have a serious conversation and it felt like those hr videos you’re required to watch that are downright painful because the actors cannot act for their lives. but anyway. i had fun. it gave what i needed it to give. cannot wait for ethan’s book(which lowkey might be the only other one in the series i read).
── .✦ pre read
back to my hockey romance roots ⛸️🤍
but genuinely why was this so LONGGGGGG. and it’s not just this book, contemporary romances seem to think they’re far more substantial than they actually are now. what happened to a fun little 350 page romance book? remember off campus? remember how those weren’t almost 500 pages long? i miss that!!! and while i wasn’t bored or even terribly bothered by the length in this one (482 pages on kindle), it did start dragging closer to the end. which made me so sad bc the slow burn and the chemistry and everything had been so great, and it just stretched itself a little too far. lost its 4.5 star rating honestly.
also am i the only one who feels like some of the dialogue felt sooo inauthentic? very... idk. clinical, if that’s the right word? they’d have a serious conversation and it felt like those hr videos you’re required to watch that are downright painful because the actors cannot act for their lives. but anyway. i had fun. it gave what i needed it to give. cannot wait for ethan’s book
── .✦ pre read
back to my hockey romance roots ⛸️🤍
May 26, 2025
Lexi & Riley 🥹 I did NOT expect for them to take me out like they did, but WOW!!
“You’ve been thinking about it?”
“More than I’m allowed to admit.”
…when the friends with benefits are quickly catching feelings 🥰
Thank you Chelsea Curto for the ARC (and the absolute joy of being on your beta team!).
All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
🏒 pro hockey player x athletic trainer
❤️🩹 injury rehabilitation
✨ friends with benefits
💙 boy obsessed (longtime crush)
🪢 rope play
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov
*check trigger warnings, there are heavier topics in here
📝 mini blurb:
After an injury that leads to the loss of his leg, hockey star Riley Mitchell loses his joy too.
Enter Lexi Armstrong - head athletic trainer for the DC stars & determined to get Riley to skate again.
She’s also the girl he’s been crushing on for YEARS.
Spending time being vulnerable with one another, and learning they like some of the same things in the bedroom, Lexi & Riley enter a friends with benefits situationship, with off-the-charts chemistry 🔥
They said no feelings… but can they stay true to that when they’re perfect for one another?
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
ebook | ⭐️: ♾️ | 🌶️: 3.5 |
Chapter 1 had me laughing out loud, and by chapter 3 I was sobbing 😭 all the feels for this one.
Chelsea is masterful at creating characters and worlds that just feel so incredibly real. I feel like I genuinely know the DC Stars & their partners so well!
💭 what I loved about this one:
- the open communication between Lexi & Riley
- when he takes care of her when she’s sick 🥹
- how accepting & supportive Lexi is with Riley’s scars & new body
- their first (not) date 🎢
- the boys’ group chat 💬
- Riley’s slutty little glasses 😏
- the boys supporting Riley through all his new “firsts” - on the ice, driving - and just the way they show up for him 🥹
- strong female friendships & uplifting women in sports
- the vulnerability Lexi & Riley have with one another
While book 4 in the series, this CAN be read as a standalone - but the series is SO GOOD I highly recommend them all, & would have the greatest emotional impact (especially with the friendships outside the main couple) if read in order 💜
📖 Hat Trick by Chelsea Curto
📚 book 4 • DC Stars series
🏒: sports romance (mf)
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
________
5/17 - just finished beta reading, I love them so much 🥹
can’t wait for Lexi & Riley to be out in the world!
________
those laughs quickly turned to sobs 😭
________
starting my beta read & already snorting/laughing out loud in chapter 1 - but I know the tears are coming 😭
________
⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ➳❥ pre-read
Lexi & Riley 🥹😍 I just KNOW this is going to be AMAZING!!
(giving it 5⭐️ but haven’t read it yet, to counter the random 1-2⭐️ ratings from PEOPLE WHO HAVENT READ THE BOOK YET 😡 - like seriously how is this allowed? It’s literally with beta readers, myself included, and we only have half the book so far)
“You’ve been thinking about it?”
“More than I’m allowed to admit.”
…when the friends with benefits are quickly catching feelings 🥰
Thank you Chelsea Curto for the ARC (and the absolute joy of being on your beta team!).
All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
🏒 pro hockey player x athletic trainer
❤️🩹 injury rehabilitation
✨ friends with benefits
💙 boy obsessed (longtime crush)
🪢 rope play
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov
*check trigger warnings, there are heavier topics in here
📝 mini blurb:
After an injury that leads to the loss of his leg, hockey star Riley Mitchell loses his joy too.
Enter Lexi Armstrong - head athletic trainer for the DC stars & determined to get Riley to skate again.
She’s also the girl he’s been crushing on for YEARS.
Spending time being vulnerable with one another, and learning they like some of the same things in the bedroom, Lexi & Riley enter a friends with benefits situationship, with off-the-charts chemistry 🔥
They said no feelings… but can they stay true to that when they’re perfect for one another?
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
ebook | ⭐️: ♾️ | 🌶️: 3.5 |
Chapter 1 had me laughing out loud, and by chapter 3 I was sobbing 😭 all the feels for this one.
Chelsea is masterful at creating characters and worlds that just feel so incredibly real. I feel like I genuinely know the DC Stars & their partners so well!
💭 what I loved about this one:
- the open communication between Lexi & Riley
- when he takes care of her when she’s sick 🥹
- how accepting & supportive Lexi is with Riley’s scars & new body
- their first (not) date 🎢
- the boys’ group chat 💬
- Riley’s slutty little glasses 😏
- the boys supporting Riley through all his new “firsts” - on the ice, driving - and just the way they show up for him 🥹
- strong female friendships & uplifting women in sports
- the vulnerability Lexi & Riley have with one another
While book 4 in the series, this CAN be read as a standalone - but the series is SO GOOD I highly recommend them all, & would have the greatest emotional impact (especially with the friendships outside the main couple) if read in order 💜
📖 Hat Trick by Chelsea Curto
📚 book 4 • DC Stars series
🏒: sports romance (mf)
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5/17 - just finished beta reading, I love them so much 🥹
can’t wait for Lexi & Riley to be out in the world!
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those laughs quickly turned to sobs 😭
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starting my beta read & already snorting/laughing out loud in chapter 1 - but I know the tears are coming 😭
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⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ➳❥ pre-read
Lexi & Riley 🥹😍 I just KNOW this is going to be AMAZING!!
(giving it 5⭐️ but haven’t read it yet, to counter the random 1-2⭐️ ratings from PEOPLE WHO HAVENT READ THE BOOK YET 😡 - like seriously how is this allowed? It’s literally with beta readers, myself included, and we only have half the book so far)
July 1, 2025
Hat Trick ruined me in the best way possible. At this point, I’m convinced Chelsea isn't just writing hockey romances. She's writing emotional rehab disguised as smut. Idk what she puts in it, but I inhaled this like oxygen and now I need a book club just to yap.
Riley Mitchell. My man. My sweet, blushing, glasses-wearing king. Watching him navigate life after losing his leg and the sport that defined him was heartbreaking. It wasn’t just about hockey. It was about purpose, grief, identity. And Chelsea wrote it with such raw honesty, it physically hurts to read at times. I felt his rage, his loneliness, his loss.
And here comes Lexi Armstrong, the DC Stars’ athletic trainer and walking hurricane of sarcasm, strength, boldness, and emotional commitment issues. She’s been burned before and doesn’t do relationships, but her chemistry with Riley? Off the charts. What starts as a “one night just to get it out of our system” slowly unravels into something vulnerable, soft, and incredibly healing. She helps him physically recover, yes but emotionally? She sees him. And for someone like Riley, who feels so unseen in his new reality, that changes everything.
Their dynamic is everything I love: obsessed soft boy x emotionally guarded queen. The banter? witty. The pining? delicious. The sleepovers, dates, and late night talks? top tier. Watching Riley go from bitter and closed-off to quietly hopeful, from hating his reflection to accepting his scars and Lexi finally allowing herself to trust someone with her heart? It gave me everything i wanted.
Also, shoutout to the DC boys. The way they show up for Riley with that unbreakable, brotherhood-level love was the sweetest ever. That first skating scene? That driving lesson? Them supporting Riley on his first game post injury? I wasn't okay 🥹. They're brothers through and through.
And THE SPICE??! Sheesh 🥵. I need to lie down. Riley Mitchell may be soft in public, but in bed? that man is the freakiest of them all. The glasses. The confidence. The ropes. The dirty talks? I needed a bucket of iced water. It's always the shy ones huh.
As for Lexi. Watching her go from guarded and “love isn't for me” to someone who chooses love anyway was powerful. She doesn’t lose herself. She just lets someone in. And that moment she finally embraces what she feels for Riley? I screamed like I was courtside at the playoffs.
But I really wish we got a scene where Riley faced the drunk driver who caused the accident. That moment felt like it was brushed aside amid everything else going on, and I wanted that closure. I wanted Riley to reclaim that power and see justice served. Not in a dramatic revenge kind of way, but just a full-circle moment. And I missed that.
Still this book is everything. Chelsea Curto has outdone herself with Hat Trick big time! 👏🏻
P.S. Men in glasses are the literary equivalent of “come ruin my life.” And Riley Mitchell can have me on a silver platter .
Riley Mitchell. My man. My sweet, blushing, glasses-wearing king. Watching him navigate life after losing his leg and the sport that defined him was heartbreaking. It wasn’t just about hockey. It was about purpose, grief, identity. And Chelsea wrote it with such raw honesty, it physically hurts to read at times. I felt his rage, his loneliness, his loss.
And here comes Lexi Armstrong, the DC Stars’ athletic trainer and walking hurricane of sarcasm, strength, boldness, and emotional commitment issues. She’s been burned before and doesn’t do relationships, but her chemistry with Riley? Off the charts. What starts as a “one night just to get it out of our system” slowly unravels into something vulnerable, soft, and incredibly healing. She helps him physically recover, yes but emotionally? She sees him. And for someone like Riley, who feels so unseen in his new reality, that changes everything.
Their dynamic is everything I love: obsessed soft boy x emotionally guarded queen. The banter? witty. The pining? delicious. The sleepovers, dates, and late night talks? top tier. Watching Riley go from bitter and closed-off to quietly hopeful, from hating his reflection to accepting his scars and Lexi finally allowing herself to trust someone with her heart? It gave me everything i wanted.
Also, shoutout to the DC boys. The way they show up for Riley with that unbreakable, brotherhood-level love was the sweetest ever. That first skating scene? That driving lesson? Them supporting Riley on his first game post injury? I wasn't okay 🥹. They're brothers through and through.
And THE SPICE??! Sheesh 🥵. I need to lie down. Riley Mitchell may be soft in public, but in bed? that man is the freakiest of them all. The glasses. The confidence. The ropes. The dirty talks? I needed a bucket of iced water. It's always the shy ones huh.
As for Lexi. Watching her go from guarded and “love isn't for me” to someone who chooses love anyway was powerful. She doesn’t lose herself. She just lets someone in. And that moment she finally embraces what she feels for Riley? I screamed like I was courtside at the playoffs.
But I really wish we got a scene where Riley faced the drunk driver who caused the accident. That moment felt like it was brushed aside amid everything else going on, and I wanted that closure. I wanted Riley to reclaim that power and see justice served. Not in a dramatic revenge kind of way, but just a full-circle moment. And I missed that.
Still this book is everything. Chelsea Curto has outdone herself with Hat Trick big time! 👏🏻
P.S. Men in glasses are the literary equivalent of “come ruin my life.” And Riley Mitchell can have me on a silver platter .
January 16, 2026
• травмований хокеїст та фізтренерка
• лише один раз
• др��зі з перевагами
• реабілітація після ампутації
• вимушена близькість
• він давно закоханий у неї (і сильно)
• вона противниця стосунків
• знайдена родина
• різниця у віці (їй 32, йому 26)
• гарячі моменти
• багато романтики
Так, так, так. Я дуже чекала моменту, коли дійду до історії Райлі й Лексі. І не знаю… у мене від цієї парочки такі приємні, щасливі флюїди, що просто бракує слів. Настільки прекрасно прописаний троп «від друзів до коханців», «від друзів до закоханих». А вайб «золотистого ретривера» й «чорної кішки» переданий неймовірно чуттєво й яскраво.
По-перше, ставлення Райлі до Лексі — це просто божественно. Він її боготворить. І це саме те, як, на мою думку, має поводитися кожен чоловік. Просто 10 із 10. Те, якою є Лексі — впевненою, сильною, позитивно налаштованою, і наскільки вона допомогла Райлі не лише фізично відновитися, а й повернути психічну стійкість, було для нього життєво необхідним.
Вони разом — це поєднання ніжної романтики й пристрасної закоханості. Мені надзвичайно сподобалися описи їхніх побачень, те, як вони робили одне для одного маленькі, але такі важливі речі, як щиро турбувалися й підтримували одне одного. Ця пара максимально гармонійна: їх ніжне розуміння привело до того, що вони почали відчувати одне одного з півслова, приймати, попри страхи, проблеми й власні «таргани» у голові.
Мені неймовірно сподобався Райлі. Це чоловік, який зміг заново віднайти себе після величезної травми. Після такої події, де в реальному житті багато хто здається. Особливо сильно мені це відчувається на тлі війни, коли ми бачимо так багато скалічених хлопців і дівчат. Коли вживу зустрічаєш людей, які продовжують жити повноцінно навіть без кінцівок після важких поранень, починаєш ще глибше усвідомлювати, наскільки сильним був Райлі. Так, у нього була неймовірна підтримка — друзі, батьки, Лексі. Але якби він са�� цього не прагнув, він би не досяг нічого. Тому його власний внесок у повернення себе, свого життя й любові до нього беззаперечний.
Водночас Лексі — неймовірно сильна героїня. Мені дуже сподобалося, як вона розкривалася поруч із Райлі. Попри своє упереджене ставлення до стосунків, вона поступово, ніби квітка, розквітла із ним. Було дуже цінно спостерігати, як ніжна турбота, увага й підтримка партнера створюють для іншого місце спокою. А місце спокою, своєю чергою, дає простір для зростання.
Тому можу точно сказати, що книга неймовірна. Мені дуже сподобалася взаємодія Райлі й Лексі, їхня ніжність і глибина почуттів. У попередній книзі я відчувала, що Маделайн, на мою думку, робила недостатньо для Гадсона. А тут Лексі віддалася на всі 100 %, так само, як і Райлі. Їхня взаємна ніжність просто викликає метеликів у животі.
Це та книга, яку я чекаю прочитати. Та книга, заради якої я взагалі читаю. Вона — джерело саморефлексії, натхнення й світла в моменти, коли здається, що пітьма залила все навколо.
June 16, 2025
4.75⭐️!! I LOVE THIS SERIES
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