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Playing for Keeps #1
Dej mi šanci
Carter Beckett je nejlepší hráč NHL. Jeho kariéra je na vrcholu a o ženy nemá nouzi. Co víc si může přát? Olivii Parkerové nejsou profesionální hokejisté cizí, její nejlepší kamarádka ostatně s jedním chodí, nicméně ona o žádného z nich nemá zájem – bez ohledu na to, jak je sexy. Dramata nemá zapotřebí. Proč by měla zbytečně hladit ego arogantnímu sportovci? Jakmile Carter Olivii potká, nedokáže myslet na nic jiného. K jeho smůle je však ona pekelně odhodlaná držet si ho od těla. Možná je načase, aby na tom Carter zapracoval… Nikdo přece neřekl, že musí hrát fér. A on vážně chce, aby mu Olivia dala šanci.
520 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2022
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August 4, 2022Pausing at 30%
I don’t know if I’ll continue with this.
First of all, I feel like I read 70% of what a normal book with this plot usually is like. Meaning this shit is loooong. Too long. Like 600 pages long and after reading 200 pages, I feel like I should be somewhere past the second half of the story but no.
Things I’m not a fan of:
- I’m not like other girl heroine. The hero’s fascination with her is very hard to understand because there was nothing to kickstart it. And considering this man has been with so many women, all kinds of women really, because of his career, it makes little sense that one day he sees her and bam without knowing anything about her he is enthralled. I mean, I get liking the chase, I also get feeling very attracted to someone but for this absolute fascination to count as believable, I need more. I needed a reason. And the fact that she’s a PE teacher and that she is so adorably pint sized (which we got told every 5 pages or so) which that makes him feel huge and Hulk-like when he can throw her around like a rag doll is not a reason. I’m so over reading about heroines who are so small and so adorably vertically challenged but with toned curves, can’t forget those. I mean, I don’t mind reading about any kind of body type, but I mind when that is pretty much counted as a personality trait and everything she does is adorable and genuine and cute because how can someone so small be anything but an angel? I don’t get the logic so yeah.
- also, my other issue is the conflict and Olivia’s constant back and forth over Carter and whether she can get over his past and trust him or not.
The way I see it, she wanted to keep him around to benefit from having him basically begging her for a chance every few minutes. It made her feel great to get that attention so she kept giving him very little to keep him hooked then pulling back when he wanted more. It was selfish. I get it. I wouldn’t trust a guy with his history at first glance either. So either she tells him no for real or she tells him yes but with certain conditions to make sure she doesn’t get played, but no. She keeps him dangling.
And case in point: she has sex with him and the scene is pretty hot and wild and uninhibited and the next morning she acts like a shy virgin, covering her eyes and stuff. I hate this virginal, it’s not like me act. Own it, don’t backpedal just so you can keep playing part of innocent ingénue. It’s fake, it paints her in a bad light. There’s nothing wrong with wanting something and admitting so. Not to mention that in that scene she basically takes back everything she did or said the night before and start saying how she actually made a mistake because it turns out her trust issues are still there and she still thinks he is an unrepentable manho whom she will never trust even tho since meeting her the man has been dedicated to the cause. It’s selfish because girl, make up your mind. If you really can’t get over his past, then let him go and don’t hurt him over and over. And if you think you can do it eventually, tell him so and be honest and work at it together.
There is literally no conflict here besides her being a selfish , immature child. She wants everything to be perfect and to be exactly how she wants it and only then can she be satisfied. Life doesn’t work that way.
I think this is the first time when I side with the former manho who treated women as being expandable until meeting the heroine.
I don’t know if I’ll continue with this.
First of all, I feel like I read 70% of what a normal book with this plot usually is like. Meaning this shit is loooong. Too long. Like 600 pages long and after reading 200 pages, I feel like I should be somewhere past the second half of the story but no.
Things I’m not a fan of:
- I’m not like other girl heroine. The hero’s fascination with her is very hard to understand because there was nothing to kickstart it. And considering this man has been with so many women, all kinds of women really, because of his career, it makes little sense that one day he sees her and bam without knowing anything about her he is enthralled. I mean, I get liking the chase, I also get feeling very attracted to someone but for this absolute fascination to count as believable, I need more. I needed a reason. And the fact that she’s a PE teacher and that she is so adorably pint sized (which we got told every 5 pages or so) which that makes him feel huge and Hulk-like when he can throw her around like a rag doll is not a reason. I’m so over reading about heroines who are so small and so adorably vertically challenged but with toned curves, can’t forget those. I mean, I don’t mind reading about any kind of body type, but I mind when that is pretty much counted as a personality trait and everything she does is adorable and genuine and cute because how can someone so small be anything but an angel? I don’t get the logic so yeah.
- also, my other issue is the conflict and Olivia’s constant back and forth over Carter and whether she can get over his past and trust him or not.
The way I see it, she wanted to keep him around to benefit from having him basically begging her for a chance every few minutes. It made her feel great to get that attention so she kept giving him very little to keep him hooked then pulling back when he wanted more. It was selfish. I get it. I wouldn’t trust a guy with his history at first glance either. So either she tells him no for real or she tells him yes but with certain conditions to make sure she doesn’t get played, but no. She keeps him dangling.
And case in point: she has sex with him and the scene is pretty hot and wild and uninhibited and the next morning she acts like a shy virgin, covering her eyes and stuff. I hate this virginal, it’s not like me act. Own it, don’t backpedal just so you can keep playing part of innocent ingénue. It’s fake, it paints her in a bad light. There’s nothing wrong with wanting something and admitting so. Not to mention that in that scene she basically takes back everything she did or said the night before and start saying how she actually made a mistake because it turns out her trust issues are still there and she still thinks he is an unrepentable manho whom she will never trust even tho since meeting her the man has been dedicated to the cause. It’s selfish because girl, make up your mind. If you really can’t get over his past, then let him go and don’t hurt him over and over. And if you think you can do it eventually, tell him so and be honest and work at it together.
There is literally no conflict here besides her being a selfish , immature child. She wants everything to be perfect and to be exactly how she wants it and only then can she be satisfied. Life doesn’t work that way.
I think this is the first time when I side with the former manho who treated women as being expandable until meeting the heroine.
May 13, 2024
I GIVE UP. i tried. i really really tried but i refuse to torture myself any longer. dnf at 59%
the way i wanted to kill myself while reading this horrendous, atrocious book.
evidence:
↳ petite was so necessary to add to her description. the book couldn't have went on without that important piece of info.
↳ I'm sorry, is she a toddler?
↳ i'm actually cryinggg, she's 5'1. FIVE ONE. crawling up walls like a cockroach.
↳ he's 27 speaking like this.
↳ they had one conversation (it lasted for 7 mins). they met once. what's so special about her? that she's "abnormally" short?
↳ is she a bobblehead?
↳ she's a highschool teacher and ur telling me everyone is 6 ft? bc i promise u 5'1 is not that short and uncommon, especially for highschool kids.
↳ wdym for her? i mean what even interests u about her?!!?? this is not love at first sight. he sees her dancing & he's immediately infatuated which is COMPLETE & utter bs since he's a literal whore. pls he's so interested bc she rejected him, get the FUCK out of my face.
↳ he talks to his dick and named it 'Thunder sword'
➤ he also fked her when she was drunk out of her mind, knowing she was drunk out of her mind bc HE got her drunk. and this was after she gave a speech for days about how she wants this to be slow and all. im acc sick. dont even get me started on the contradictions, she's so annoying she cant make up her mind and expects his ugly ass to keep up with her.
↳ HELLOOOOO am i the only one with a mf memory here??? im convinced the author has short term memory loss. this was said AFTER they fked. im appalled.
??
↳ bitch ARE U FUCKING SERIOUSSS pls get realllllllll are u a fucking statue? relax
the way i wanted to kill myself while reading this horrendous, atrocious book.
evidence:
➺ "Petite, drop-dead gorgeous brunette"
↳ petite was so necessary to add to her description. the book couldn't have went on without that important piece of info.
➺ 'the stunning little thing'
➺ 'she hoists herself up on a bar stool-with great effort,'
↳ I'm sorry, is she a toddler?
➺ 'I've pulled countless muscles trying to crawl up walls towards shelves."
↳ i'm actually cryinggg, she's 5'1. FIVE ONE. crawling up walls like a cockroach.
➺ "I've got a feeling you're the type of song i'd play on repeat."
↳ he's 27 speaking like this.
➺ "Because you're special, Olivia."
↳ they had one conversation (it lasted for 7 mins). they met once. what's so special about her? that she's "abnormally" short?
➺ '..before stuffing her back in her seat, she topples sideways.'
↳ is she a bobblehead?
➺ "I'm used to being the shortest person in the room."
↳ she's a highschool teacher and ur telling me everyone is 6 ft? bc i promise u 5'1 is not that short and uncommon, especially for highschool kids.
➺ "I'll be good. For her. For Olivia."
↳ wdym for her? i mean what even interests u about her?!!?? this is not love at first sight. he sees her dancing & he's immediately infatuated which is COMPLETE & utter bs since he's a literal whore. pls he's so interested bc she rejected him, get the FUCK out of my face.
➺ "Hear that big buddy?"
↳ he talks to his dick and named it 'Thunder sword'
➤ he also fked her when she was drunk out of her mind, knowing she was drunk out of her mind bc HE got her drunk. and this was after she gave a speech for days about how she wants this to be slow and all. im acc sick. dont even get me started on the contradictions, she's so annoying she cant make up her mind and expects his ugly ass to keep up with her.
➺ "Thank you for being patient with me and giving me some time."
↳ HELLOOOOO am i the only one with a mf memory here??? im convinced the author has short term memory loss. this was said AFTER they fked. im appalled.
➺ "I'm so short and he's so tall so are we even all that compatible,"
??
➺ 'My mom becomes a cat, clawing at my legs.'
↳ bitch ARE U FUCKING SERIOUSSS pls get realllllllll are u a fucking statue? relax
January 1, 2023
I’m tired.
December 11, 2022
when will authors stop making their female main character’s only personality trait being short
March 12, 2025
He refers to his appendage as his “sword of thunder”. I’m gonna go put my head through dry wall repeatedly and then maybe punch myself in the face to remove this book from my memory.
September 3, 2024
DNF22% ..
olivia created the universal pick-me persona 🥲
olivia created the universal pick-me persona 🥲
July 18, 2023
i feel like carter would assault me, but i'm not sure someone with the mental capacity of a four year old is capable of that. (at least becka mack is portraying hockey players accurately?)
and olivia? i reckon i can take her, especially given that she's 2 and a half feet tall.
look, i don't usually rate dnfs because i don't like judging part of a book when it affects the whole book, but that 4.02 average feels personal right now, so i'm doing my part to contribute to its downfall.
i also don't like giving 1 stars, because though i love my 2 and 3 stars, i recognize that a lot of effort with generally good intentions was put into any given book and i don't want to shit on that. but this was a physically painful 16%.
mostly because carter sucks.
- firstly, dude, we get it, you're rich. but millionaires aren't always exactly the most productive members of society so i’m not sure why we’re bragging about that (and definitely not ones who virtue signal their philanthropy by "allowing" their sister to give $1500 of their money to the aspca when that is only 0.01% of their annual income)
- and also not everyone has wet dreams about their bank account balance?
- and what makes that even worse? he's rude as fuck. at about the 15% mark he eats olivia's cinnamon bun that she told him she was saving to have christmas morning as part of a tradition since her family can't be near her, and then just throws money at it.
- and not the only instance of that, he has a habit of being awful and then just using jokes or his wealth to deflect from the significance of his actions. he's repeatedly rude and just doesn't seem to care enough about the people around him, her included, to act differently.
but that's okay, because she's short and he's rich and that's funny. …see how it doesn't make sense out of context?
and oh god, the height thing.
this single handedly convinced me to never reading binding 13 because i think my head would combust.
homegirl is 5'1. that isn't a disability. that isn't even that funny. people are 5'1 everywhere. my friend is 5'1. …i'm actually starting to be worry that i haven't been as supportive to her as i could have been during this tough, tough time. i guess i just never realized life was so hard for them down there. i know it's insensitive of me, but-
hmm,
what's that?
that little noise-
OH!
it's the world's smallest violin.
olivia just sucks.
i don't like using this phrase, but if you needed to see "not like the other girls" in a fmc, it's her. which kind of makes sense, since they both originated from wattpad.
but back to carter,
that man is genuinely scary.
olivia has hinted, insinuated, and directly communicated that she wants nothing to do with him. over and over and over and over and over.
and what does he do?
HE WON'T FUCK OFF.
he won't stop touching her or being in her space or talking to her over and over and over and over.
it has been stated, multiple times, that he is only, or at least all the more, interested in her because she doesn't want to be with him. THAT'S FUCKED UP.
and the rape culture rizz isn't it. those little jokes about "oh, he doesn't take no for an answer," isn't endearing. it's not hot. because people that joke about that, do that. (and stellar boyfriend material carter here has shown that he doesn't care enough to listen to you to begin with!)
basically, carter is why morgues prefer to hire women.
- i know it's coming from wattpad, but the chapter titles were dumb. i don't need to read a chapter called "dilf-ing so hard" or "be my baby-doggie mama" or "cock socks and cinnamon buns."
oh and his entire internal monologue is basically:
"she's hot, i want to stick my dick in that. i want to stick my dick in anything. i should go give her a hug so i can touch her tits... oh she literally ran away from me. that's hot. i should chase her. i guess i could just call her short again, that will win her over. maybe then i can fuck her."
and then i skipped forward to one of the smut scenes and its...mid. all that talk for what?
and olivia's not much better. she's all:
"he's so hot, but i hate him. oh he has a dimple... why do i hate him again? each of his hands are like double the circumference of my waist, that's hot. oh, wait yeah, i hate him!! he pulls ass, which we all know is basically criminal. i'm not like all those other bitches that sleep with him because i want to pretend to have 'standards' (whatever that means) and also i'm a brunette. woe is me."
anyways, if you actually read all of this, thank you for coming to my ted talk. and thank you to lululemon for going on this fun fun fun ride with me.
ALSO, SURPRISE, THE EPILOGUE HAS A BABY.
i never could have seen that coming!
and olivia? i reckon i can take her, especially given that she's 2 and a half feet tall.
look, i don't usually rate dnfs because i don't like judging part of a book when it affects the whole book, but that 4.02 average feels personal right now, so i'm doing my part to contribute to its downfall.
i also don't like giving 1 stars, because though i love my 2 and 3 stars, i recognize that a lot of effort with generally good intentions was put into any given book and i don't want to shit on that. but this was a physically painful 16%.
mostly because carter sucks.
- firstly, dude, we get it, you're rich. but millionaires aren't always exactly the most productive members of society so i’m not sure why we’re bragging about that (and definitely not ones who virtue signal their philanthropy by "allowing" their sister to give $1500 of their money to the aspca when that is only 0.01% of their annual income)
- and also not everyone has wet dreams about their bank account balance?
- and what makes that even worse? he's rude as fuck. at about the 15% mark he eats olivia's cinnamon bun that she told him she was saving to have christmas morning as part of a tradition since her family can't be near her, and then just throws money at it.
- and not the only instance of that, he has a habit of being awful and then just using jokes or his wealth to deflect from the significance of his actions. he's repeatedly rude and just doesn't seem to care enough about the people around him, her included, to act differently.
but that's okay, because she's short and he's rich and that's funny. …see how it doesn't make sense out of context?
and oh god, the height thing.
this single handedly convinced me to never reading binding 13 because i think my head would combust.
homegirl is 5'1. that isn't a disability. that isn't even that funny. people are 5'1 everywhere. my friend is 5'1. …i'm actually starting to be worry that i haven't been as supportive to her as i could have been during this tough, tough time. i guess i just never realized life was so hard for them down there. i know it's insensitive of me, but-
hmm,
what's that?
that little noise-
OH!
it's the world's smallest violin.
olivia just sucks.
i don't like using this phrase, but if you needed to see "not like the other girls" in a fmc, it's her. which kind of makes sense, since they both originated from wattpad.
but back to carter,
that man is genuinely scary.
olivia has hinted, insinuated, and directly communicated that she wants nothing to do with him. over and over and over and over and over.
and what does he do?
HE WON'T FUCK OFF.
he won't stop touching her or being in her space or talking to her over and over and over and over.
it has been stated, multiple times, that he is only, or at least all the more, interested in her because she doesn't want to be with him. THAT'S FUCKED UP.
and the rape culture rizz isn't it. those little jokes about "oh, he doesn't take no for an answer," isn't endearing. it's not hot. because people that joke about that, do that. (and stellar boyfriend material carter here has shown that he doesn't care enough to listen to you to begin with!)
basically, carter is why morgues prefer to hire women.
- i know it's coming from wattpad, but the chapter titles were dumb. i don't need to read a chapter called "dilf-ing so hard" or "be my baby-doggie mama" or "cock socks and cinnamon buns."
oh and his entire internal monologue is basically:
"she's hot, i want to stick my dick in that. i want to stick my dick in anything. i should go give her a hug so i can touch her tits... oh she literally ran away from me. that's hot. i should chase her. i guess i could just call her short again, that will win her over. maybe then i can fuck her."
and then i skipped forward to one of the smut scenes and its...mid. all that talk for what?
and olivia's not much better. she's all:
"he's so hot, but i hate him. oh he has a dimple... why do i hate him again? each of his hands are like double the circumference of my waist, that's hot. oh, wait yeah, i hate him!! he pulls ass, which we all know is basically criminal. i'm not like all those other bitches that sleep with him because i want to pretend to have 'standards' (whatever that means) and also i'm a brunette. woe is me."
anyways, if you actually read all of this, thank you for coming to my ted talk. and thank you to lululemon for going on this fun fun fun ride with me.
ALSO, SURPRISE, THE EPILOGUE HAS A BABY.
i never could have seen that coming!
August 17, 2024
re-read – 4.5 stars
– 4.5 stars
holy shit this book was so fucking corny and i loved it!! i might have found a new favorite hockey romance series and i’m so happy right now considered that i expected nothing, but Carter x Olivia gave me everything. 😂🥺🫶
the reformed playboy trope is so overused, but i’m such a whore for it and it always got my back. i was stalking the author’s pages a little bit to see and saw that this book was originally published on Wattpad, but then Becka Mack decided to completely rewrite the story and publish it like this and i’m not surprised one bit after reading this story. 😂
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
THINGS I ADORE....
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
➵ Carter Beckett
this boy is going straight to my favorite book boyfriend lists, cuz i love him so much! Carter is such a goofy softball.. acting all manwhore on the outside, but once he laid eyes on Olivia he was obsessed and fell hard. he just made me smile the whole book, because he was such an attentive boyfriend and Carter when he is anxious and nervous??? when Carter took Ollie on the movie date? akldfakslfjds adorable af. 😭
➵ the romance
plot of this book? i don’t remember. all i remember of the plot of Consider Me is basically Carter & Olivia being cute together and being in love after some push and pull at the beginning. it’s centers around Carter and his team trying to win the Stanley Cup, but otherwise it’s very character and romance driven.
➵ the side characters
i adore the found family trope and all the side characters were amazing! i loved Carter with his hockey teammates. I love the whole Beckett family + Hank. there wasn’t even on side character I didn’t love. even the animals had their own spotlight here. they are all a bunch of cuties and i want them to adopt me into their family. 🥺👉👈
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
THINGS THAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER....
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
➵ the lengths of the book
did this book had to be 500 pages long? no. do i care? also no. yes, the conversations and scenes in Consider Me were a bit repetitive, but i honestly adore Carter & Olivia so much that i couldn’t care less.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
CONCLUSION
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
i’m so hyped to read the rest of the series since i already love all the other side characters so much. can’t wait for Garrett + Jennie’s story or Adam’s story! but i’m most excited to read Emmett + Cara’s book bc i know it’s going to be a marriage in crisis (just a theory since they are already a couple in Consider Me) and i know it’s going to break my heart. 😩
i really didn't expect to love this book as much as i did since i'm such a rating snob and this book only has a 4.19 rating, therefore i thought i would hate it, but y'all now i'm obsessed with this new hockey series and i'm already 50% into the next book and the Carter x Olivia crumbs ... i'M ON MY KNEES FOR THEM. 🙇🏻♀️
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
PLAYING FOR KEEPS SERIES
#1 Consider Me – 4.5 stars (Carter x Ollie)
#2 Play With Me – 3 stars (Garrett x Jennie)
#3 Unravel Me – 3 stars (Adam x Rosie)
#4 Fall With Me – 3.5 (Jaxon x Lennon)
#5 Breath With Me – tbd (Emmett x Cara)
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
– 4.5 stars
holy shit this book was so fucking corny and i loved it!! i might have found a new favorite hockey romance series and i’m so happy right now considered that i expected nothing, but Carter x Olivia gave me everything. 😂🥺🫶
the reformed playboy trope is so overused, but i’m such a whore for it and it always got my back. i was stalking the author’s pages a little bit to see and saw that this book was originally published on Wattpad, but then Becka Mack decided to completely rewrite the story and publish it like this and i’m not surprised one bit after reading this story. 😂
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
THINGS I ADORE....
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
➵ Carter Beckett
this boy is going straight to my favorite book boyfriend lists, cuz i love him so much! Carter is such a goofy softball.. acting all manwhore on the outside, but once he laid eyes on Olivia he was obsessed and fell hard. he just made me smile the whole book, because he was such an attentive boyfriend and Carter when he is anxious and nervous??? when Carter took Ollie on the movie date? akldfakslfjds adorable af. 😭
➵ the romance
plot of this book? i don’t remember. all i remember of the plot of Consider Me is basically Carter & Olivia being cute together and being in love after some push and pull at the beginning. it’s centers around Carter and his team trying to win the Stanley Cup, but otherwise it’s very character and romance driven.
➵ the side characters
i adore the found family trope and all the side characters were amazing! i loved Carter with his hockey teammates. I love the whole Beckett family + Hank. there wasn’t even on side character I didn’t love. even the animals had their own spotlight here. they are all a bunch of cuties and i want them to adopt me into their family. 🥺👉👈
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
THINGS THAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER....
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
➵ the lengths of the book
did this book had to be 500 pages long? no. do i care? also no. yes, the conversations and scenes in Consider Me were a bit repetitive, but i honestly adore Carter & Olivia so much that i couldn’t care less.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
CONCLUSION
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
i’m so hyped to read the rest of the series since i already love all the other side characters so much. can’t wait for Garrett + Jennie’s story or Adam’s story! but i’m most excited to read Emmett + Cara’s book bc i know it’s going to be a marriage in crisis (just a theory since they are already a couple in Consider Me) and i know it’s going to break my heart. 😩
i really didn't expect to love this book as much as i did since i'm such a rating snob and this book only has a 4.19 rating, therefore i thought i would hate it, but y'all now i'm obsessed with this new hockey series and i'm already 50% into the next book and the Carter x Olivia crumbs ... i'M ON MY KNEES FOR THEM. 🙇🏻♀️
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
PLAYING FOR KEEPS SERIES
#1 Consider Me – 4.5 stars (Carter x Ollie)
#2 Play With Me – 3 stars (Garrett x Jennie)
#3 Unravel Me – 3 stars (Adam x Rosie)
#4 Fall With Me – 3.5 (Jaxon x Lennon)
#5 Breath With Me – tbd (Emmett x Cara)
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
April 8, 2023
wtf was that
May 26, 2024
˗ˏˋ 4 / 5 ★ ´ˎ˗
I really enjoyed this book✨ I was looking for something cheesy, fun, and sweet and this book truly delivered it💖
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
🧸 hockey romance
🧸 dual POV
🧸 he fell first and harder
🧸 golden retriever and obsessed mmc
🧸 reformed playboy
🧸 friends to lovers
🧸 family/ friendship bonds
🧸 topics: insecurities, a little miscommunication, huge guy/tiny girl
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
➴ I had so much fun reading this book! 💗 I wanted something easy to read. Something cheesy, sweet, funny, cozy, and enjoyable. Something that would make me relax while giggling, kicking my feet and blushing. And this book has it all✨
➴ I’m obsessed with Carter 🛐 I don’t care what other people might think of him, but this man has the biggest golden retriever vibes. He’s such a softie and a big teddy bear that I want to cuddle 24/7🧸💗 he’s so sweet, chaotic, cute, funny, arrogant, childish sometimes, doesn’t have a filter, and is a big dirty talker. I love him💘
➴ I also liked Olivia! She didn’t fell for Carter’s charm at first sight, and she literally told him to go f* off💅🏼 she also had her softie side when it came to Carter💕 Ollie had a lot of insecurities when it came to being in a relationship with him because of his playboy reputation. But if I’m being honest, I think I would have the same insecurities, so I can’t blame her actions because of that😭 it was frustrating, but I get it. She had to learn how to trust him and herself, something that doesn’t happen overnight. So, baby steps💫
➴ what I really loved was how Carter and Ollie overcame all of their insecurities and learned to be and love each other. They got to know each other, became friends, and strengthened their relationship. It was nice to see their relationship develop. What really surprised me was the fact that although Carter had never been in a relationship before Ollie, he was the most mature, and communicative, and he was such a boyfriend material. Ollie had experience in relationships, but it didn't seem like it😭🤣 I feel like Carter beat her in that aspect. He was giving a lot more than her, idk. I think her insecurities and fears beat her most of the time, but I’m glad she learned to work with them and to be more communicative with Carter, and vice versa.
➴ I need to say this again: this book contains a lot of cheesy and sweet scenes that some people may find a little cringy. But for me? I absolutely ate all of that because I was craving something like that. Anddd maybe this book was longer than it should’ve been, but still, I completely enjoyed it.
➴ something that bothered me a little was the fact that it was mentioned like a million times how small and cute Olivia is because she’s so tiny. She has “little legs” and is five foot one, we get it. I’m not joking when I tell you that it was mentioned in every chapter. So, this became like her entire personality and had a big role in the plot besides her insecurities. Also, Carter is HUGE. And I love thatduhh🤭 BUT, we also understood it when it was mentioned a million times. And the sword of thunder? LMAOOO! If you know, you know😭🤣
➴ I loved all the dynamics and friendships with the hockey players, Cara, and family members! I loved them all and can’t wait to read more about them💖
➴ I have 329 highlights so, yeah… I loved this book💜💐
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
❥ Many quotes just because I love them ✨
⋆˙⟡ “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Never, Ollie. I just want you to consider… consider giving me a shot. Consider me. That’s all I want, Ol. A chance with you.” I’ll consider you, Carter🛐
⋆˙⟡ “Fear is a funny, fickle thing. It's there to protect you, to keep you from getting hurt, a glaring neon sign that warns you from getting too close, tells you to back up before it's too late. But it keeps you stuck, weighed down in one spot, like feet stuck in mud. And more often than not? You get hurt anyway. Sometimes, like today, you hurt the person you care about in the process too.” This is so real🥺
⋆˙⟡ “Yes, I want to choose Olivia, over and over again. I want to work for it, for us. I want to be better, not only for her, but for myself too.” I love this. He wants to work and be better for both of them, and that’s so beautiful❤️🩹
⋆˙⟡ “Carter?”
“Yeah, princess?”
“What if I fall in love with you?”
“Then I’ll fall with you too, Ollie girl.”
lotsssss of butterflies in my stomach🦋🦋💘
⋆˙⟡ “You're enough, Ollie. So enough you leave me overflowing. And I don't think a good measure of confidence is whether or not you compare yourself to others. It's only natural. I think it's about showing each other what we mean to the other and being confident in what we have together. That's where that feeling of enough comes from.” Are we sure this man has never been in a relationship?💕
⋆˙⟡ “What can I say? Letting the world know I'm yours makes me happy.” This man fell sooo hard and is so proud to be hers🛐💖
⋆˙⟡ “I've learned that fear isn't a bad thing. It shows you what's important to you and how hard you're willing to work for it. And I've been afraid of a lot of things in my life, Ollie, but never as afraid as I am at the thought of losing you one day.” I want to hug him so bad and never let him go😭🧸
⋆˙⟡ “You know what I think? I think we're afraid of the things that have the power to change our lives. My life changed for the better that day I locked eyes with you. So much for the better, Ollie. I'm better when I'm with you.” I love Ollie but… you can be better if you're with me, Carter😭💗🤣
⋆˙⟡ “He brings out a different side of me, makes me feel things I never felt before, face the things that scare me. I can spend my time yearning for the small amount of time wasted by me being afraid to love him, to let him love me. Or I can be grateful for where we are now, the love we share and the relationship we’ve built in such a short time, the love that gets so much stronger, deeper, every single day.” Yesss, girl! You both deserve to be loved by each other💞
⋆˙⟡ “But there are so many reasons you're a good partner, Carter. You're fierce and loyal. You're patient and kind and the most passionate person I know. You never give up, and you're so proud of me all the time, and it helps me be proud of myself. I'm a more confident person than I was six months ago because of the love you show me.” A partner that empowers you >>
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
Anyways💜🦋 I enjoyed this book so much😌 I’m obsessed with this hockey player! I need him in my life, seriously💗😭😂 I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and have some crumbs of this lovely couple too✨
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 🤍🏒 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖ hockey romance? my kryptonite and one of my favorite tropes✨ so, here we go 🛐🦋
𓏲 ₊♡𓂃“Your tears are not a weakness, so stop trying to hide them. Don't be sorry for showing me how you feel. Being vulnerable with each other is how we learn to be the best versions of ourselves as partners. When you show me the type of love you need, I learn how to give it to you.”⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚
I really enjoyed this book✨ I was looking for something cheesy, fun, and sweet and this book truly delivered it💖
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 / 𝓣𝓸𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓼:
🧸 hockey romance
🧸 dual POV
🧸 he fell first and harder
🧸 golden retriever and obsessed mmc
🧸 reformed playboy
🧸 friends to lovers
🧸 family/ friendship bonds
🧸 topics: insecurities, a little miscommunication, huge guy/tiny girl
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
🦋“What are you most afraid of?”
“Falling,” she answers quietly and without hesitation.
“I’ll catch you.”
“Promise?”
Bringing her to me, I sear her with a kiss that feels every bit like a future I never knew I wanted.
“Promise.”🦋
❥𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼💭 ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹
➴ I had so much fun reading this book! 💗 I wanted something easy to read. Something cheesy, sweet, funny, cozy, and enjoyable. Something that would make me relax while giggling, kicking my feet and blushing. And this book has it all✨
➴ I’m obsessed with Carter 🛐 I don’t care what other people might think of him, but this man has the biggest golden retriever vibes. He’s such a softie and a big teddy bear that I want to cuddle 24/7🧸💗 he’s so sweet, chaotic, cute, funny, arrogant, childish sometimes, doesn’t have a filter, and is a big dirty talker. I love him💘
➴ I also liked Olivia! She didn’t fell for Carter’s charm at first sight, and she literally told him to go f* off💅🏼 she also had her softie side when it came to Carter💕 Ollie had a lot of insecurities when it came to being in a relationship with him because of his playboy reputation. But if I’m being honest, I think I would have the same insecurities, so I can’t blame her actions because of that😭 it was frustrating, but I get it. She had to learn how to trust him and herself, something that doesn’t happen overnight. So, baby steps💫
➴ what I really loved was how Carter and Ollie overcame all of their insecurities and learned to be and love each other. They got to know each other, became friends, and strengthened their relationship. It was nice to see their relationship develop. What really surprised me was the fact that although Carter had never been in a relationship before Ollie, he was the most mature, and communicative, and he was such a boyfriend material. Ollie had experience in relationships, but it didn't seem like it😭🤣 I feel like Carter beat her in that aspect. He was giving a lot more than her, idk. I think her insecurities and fears beat her most of the time, but I’m glad she learned to work with them and to be more communicative with Carter, and vice versa.
➴ I need to say this again: this book contains a lot of cheesy and sweet scenes that some people may find a little cringy. But for me? I absolutely ate all of that because I was craving something like that. Anddd maybe this book was longer than it should’ve been, but still, I completely enjoyed it.
➴ something that bothered me a little was the fact that it was mentioned like a million times how small and cute Olivia is because she’s so tiny. She has “little legs” and is five foot one, we get it. I’m not joking when I tell you that it was mentioned in every chapter. So, this became like her entire personality and had a big role in the plot besides her insecurities. Also, Carter is HUGE. And I love that
➴ I loved all the dynamics and friendships with the hockey players, Cara, and family members! I loved them all and can’t wait to read more about them💖
➴ I have 329 highlights so, yeah… I loved this book💜💐
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
❥ Many quotes just because I love them ✨
⋆˙⟡ “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Never, Ollie. I just want you to consider… consider giving me a shot. Consider me. That’s all I want, Ol. A chance with you.” I’ll consider you, Carter🛐
⋆˙⟡ “Fear is a funny, fickle thing. It's there to protect you, to keep you from getting hurt, a glaring neon sign that warns you from getting too close, tells you to back up before it's too late. But it keeps you stuck, weighed down in one spot, like feet stuck in mud. And more often than not? You get hurt anyway. Sometimes, like today, you hurt the person you care about in the process too.” This is so real🥺
⋆˙⟡ “Yes, I want to choose Olivia, over and over again. I want to work for it, for us. I want to be better, not only for her, but for myself too.” I love this. He wants to work and be better for both of them, and that’s so beautiful❤️🩹
⋆˙⟡ “Carter?”
“Yeah, princess?”
“What if I fall in love with you?”
“Then I’ll fall with you too, Ollie girl.”
lotsssss of butterflies in my stomach🦋🦋💘
⋆˙⟡ “You're enough, Ollie. So enough you leave me overflowing. And I don't think a good measure of confidence is whether or not you compare yourself to others. It's only natural. I think it's about showing each other what we mean to the other and being confident in what we have together. That's where that feeling of enough comes from.” Are we sure this man has never been in a relationship?💕
⋆˙⟡ “What can I say? Letting the world know I'm yours makes me happy.” This man fell sooo hard and is so proud to be hers🛐💖
⋆˙⟡ “I've learned that fear isn't a bad thing. It shows you what's important to you and how hard you're willing to work for it. And I've been afraid of a lot of things in my life, Ollie, but never as afraid as I am at the thought of losing you one day.” I want to hug him so bad and never let him go😭🧸
⋆˙⟡ “You know what I think? I think we're afraid of the things that have the power to change our lives. My life changed for the better that day I locked eyes with you. So much for the better, Ollie. I'm better when I'm with you.” I love Ollie but… you can be better if you're with me, Carter😭💗🤣
⋆˙⟡ “He brings out a different side of me, makes me feel things I never felt before, face the things that scare me. I can spend my time yearning for the small amount of time wasted by me being afraid to love him, to let him love me. Or I can be grateful for where we are now, the love we share and the relationship we’ve built in such a short time, the love that gets so much stronger, deeper, every single day.” Yesss, girl! You both deserve to be loved by each other💞
⋆˙⟡ “But there are so many reasons you're a good partner, Carter. You're fierce and loyal. You're patient and kind and the most passionate person I know. You never give up, and you're so proud of me all the time, and it helps me be proud of myself. I'm a more confident person than I was six months ago because of the love you show me.” A partner that empowers you >>
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
Anyways💜🦋 I enjoyed this book so much😌 I’m obsessed with this hockey player! I need him in my life, seriously💗😭😂 I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and have some crumbs of this lovely couple too✨
𓏲 ₊♡𓂃“I’m gonna love you the way you deserve to be loved every single day for the rest of your life and my life. I promise.”⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚
────── ⋆⋅🏒⋅⋆ ──────
˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 🤍🏒 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖ hockey romance? my kryptonite and one of my favorite tropes✨ so, here we go 🛐🦋
October 25, 2022
3.75
I am probably rating this higher than I should, but whatever.
I'm a sucker for sports romances featuring "reformed" mansluts and this one definitely delivered on that front. The characters were somewhat inconsistent and a lot of things could have been edited down...It felt a too little young at times, it was super over the top, and very very cheesy...but, you know what? It was exactly what I was in the mood for.
I enjoyed the way Carter completely changed for Olivia and how possessive he got. And I also loved all of the side characters. Seriously, all of them. Super fun.
This felt very much like a 2012 Val sports romance read. In all the best ways. I'll probably try the next one while I'm still in the mood I'm in.
I am probably rating this higher than I should, but whatever.
I'm a sucker for sports romances featuring "reformed" mansluts and this one definitely delivered on that front. The characters were somewhat inconsistent and a lot of things could have been edited down...It felt a too little young at times, it was super over the top, and very very cheesy...but, you know what? It was exactly what I was in the mood for.
I enjoyed the way Carter completely changed for Olivia and how possessive he got. And I also loved all of the side characters. Seriously, all of them. Super fun.
This felt very much like a 2012 Val sports romance read. In all the best ways. I'll probably try the next one while I'm still in the mood I'm in.
January 18, 2023
A week. It took me a whole fucking week to read this. I've finished books longer than this in one day. Anyway-
I was soo excited to read this, I literally had this on my kindle since September. Everyone was loving this book and honestly it checked literally every box I could think of. Sports Romance? Check. Boy obsessed? Check. FLUFF FLUFF SO MUCH OF IT I WAS GOING CRAZYYYY.
And then I started it.
I'm not a fan of insta lust/love. He saw her once and was ready to "change" himself and why?? Ohmygod she's not like other girls she's a pint sized cutie *wipes tears* Adorable.
Ngl I had high hopes for Olivia. She seemed like a strong character initially and was reduced to an insecure and sobbing mess. The only thing I remember about her is that shes a pipsqueak lmaoo so cute how does she even play volleyball how can she reach the net bitch allow me to introduce you to hinata shoyou
It's the same with Carter. He was hot, I agree. Cute as fuck, made me giggle at times this fucking bastard. He was so whipped I was eating it up. At times. But see, there's a very thin line between cute and downright annoying and Carter was on the latter side of the fence most of the time for me. HE WAS TWENTY EIGHT YEARS OLD FFS FUCKING ACT LIKE YOUR AGE FOR ONCE.
Also, idk but the way he was behaving with Olivia initially was making me lowkey uncomfortable. It was supposed to be cute and it was at times but it just gave me the ick.
I couldn't connect with any character really (i liked adam tho) Also, idc if I sound like a bitch but if my best friend- nishaaaaaaa babe im looking at you- got engaged at my wedding, idfc I'm disowning her ass.
This book drained the fucking life outta me. I'm just so glad it's over. 🥹
I was soo excited to read this, I literally had this on my kindle since September. Everyone was loving this book and honestly it checked literally every box I could think of. Sports Romance? Check. Boy obsessed? Check. FLUFF FLUFF SO MUCH OF IT I WAS GOING CRAZYYYY.
And then I started it.
I'm not a fan of insta lust/love. He saw her once and was ready to "change" himself and why?? Ohmygod she's not like other girls she's a pint sized cutie *wipes tears* Adorable.
Ngl I had high hopes for Olivia. She seemed like a strong character initially and was reduced to an insecure and sobbing mess. The only thing I remember about her is that shes a pipsqueak lmaoo so cute how does she even play volleyball how can she reach the net bitch allow me to introduce you to hinata shoyou
It's the same with Carter. He was hot, I agree. Cute as fuck, made me giggle at times this fucking bastard. He was so whipped I was eating it up. At times. But see, there's a very thin line between cute and downright annoying and Carter was on the latter side of the fence most of the time for me. HE WAS TWENTY EIGHT YEARS OLD FFS FUCKING ACT LIKE YOUR AGE FOR ONCE.
Also, idk but the way he was behaving with Olivia initially was making me lowkey uncomfortable. It was supposed to be cute and it was at times but it just gave me the ick.
I couldn't connect with any character really (i liked adam tho) Also, idc if I sound like a bitch but if my best friend- nishaaaaaaa babe im looking at you- got engaged at my wedding, idfc I'm disowning her ass.
This book drained the fucking life outta me. I'm just so glad it's over. 🥹
Currently reading
December 31, 2024ᝰ🏒 pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
I’m finally on my winter break so now I can read without feeling guilty about procrastinating🥳
This has been on my tbr since it came out, but I always put it off because of the length, what do you mean it's almost 500 pages ....🫣 also all the top reviews being 1 star is scaring me ngl, idk what to expect from this book anymore.
I’m finally on my winter break so now I can read without feeling guilty about procrastinating🥳
This has been on my tbr since it came out, but I always put it off because of the length, what do you mean it's almost 500 pages ....🫣 also all the top reviews being 1 star is scaring me ngl, idk what to expect from this book anymore.
January 15, 2024
writing: fine | plot: don't think about it too much lol | ending: ight *chucks book out window*
my opinion
544 pages. And I read every. single. word. Idk how you fantasy/romantasy girlies do it but congrats on being the superior human being. Btw, despite the rant I'm about to embark on, I did order book #2 because I am a glutton for punishment.
There are several legitimately funny moments in here, but looking at the Goodreads reviews has me questioning my sense of humour. I tend to enjoy MCs who don't take themselves that seriously and can be in a funny, silly, goofy mood while still being successful adults. Think: The Mindy Project. However, sometimes it did go a bit too far and was so cringy it made me clench my butt-cheeks.
This is a reformed playbook meets girl who's scared he's gonna hurt her (emotionally), which if you REALLY think about it is just slut-shaming lmfaooooo. Like reverse the roles and the girlies would be RIOTING. Dissertations would be WRITTEN. She literally didn't want to date him because he had HOESSSSSSS in a variety of area codes. Just because he has hoes doesn't mean he's at a higher risk of cheating. In fact, I strongly believe criminally horny men who never had hoes will jump at the first opportunity to cheat because they can't believe someone else is actually interested in them. Plus, Carter wasn't a cheater and he was always forthcoming that he didn't want serious things, but lil (and I mean that literally, as we're reminded of her height MULTIPLE times) miss Olivia 'Pick-Me' Parker vehemently believed he was gonna betray her.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, idk) this dynamic, along with her back, was blown to smithereens 25% of the way through the book when Olivia initiated activities with Carter. I was baffled at this point because we still had some 400 pages... so what, they were just gonna be in love for the rest of the book? This was super disappointing considering they only hung out twice in group settings before she decided to throw her bra to the wind and buss down. I thought we were gonna get more bants, more 1:1 dates, more VIBES. But nope.
Next, I'm not sure if Olivia had an off-page lobotomy but she kept asking Carter "how are you single?" Uhhh because he wanted to be? Also unsure if time in this fictional world worked like dog years because these two literally knew each other for less than two moon cycles and kept saying shit like "I know them well-enough..." and "I've known them long enough..." NO TF YOU HAVEN'T. I've had longer relationships with the condiments in my fridge. It was total insta-love. And Carter saying he knew it was real because he couldn't get over her... they literally didn't speak for 7 days. *bangs head against desk*
The characterizations were all over the place. Carter was giving crackhead golden retriever most of the times and was quite vocal about how he didn't know how to act in relationships. But then they'd be in the bath and he's be giving Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe a run for their money with the romance bars he was dropping. Pick a lane. Is he a relationship God or a manchild with a black hole for a stomach? He can't be both if he has no frame of reference for relationships.
Okay this is getting way too long but there were also several moments where Freud entered the chat. I don't want to bring that Sweet Home Alabama energy into this review so I'll leave it there. Describing the sound of his "snake" slithering across the bedsheets should be classified as a felony. And lastly, he cannot be nine inches yet "buried to the hilt." Google is free. It's seven inches max. No one asked for nine. If you saw nine IRL you'd scream at a pitch only dogs can hear.
Yes, still three stars because at no point did I want to DNF so that counts for something.
pros & cons
pros: despite being the length of an encyclopedia this felt like a quick-ish read, some legit funny moments, secondary characters added to the story in a fun/meaningful way
cons: butt-cheek clenching cringe moments, romantic dynamic folded like a lawn chair in a hurricane too early, characters were very inconsistent, Olivia 'Pick-Me' Parker is every satirical bit about short girls... tbh she wasn't cool enough for Carter, I can't believe I'm saying this but the spice was boring af
____
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
my opinion
544 pages. And I read every. single. word. Idk how you fantasy/romantasy girlies do it but congrats on being the superior human being. Btw, despite the rant I'm about to embark on, I did order book #2 because I am a glutton for punishment.
There are several legitimately funny moments in here, but looking at the Goodreads reviews has me questioning my sense of humour. I tend to enjoy MCs who don't take themselves that seriously and can be in a funny, silly, goofy mood while still being successful adults. Think: The Mindy Project. However, sometimes it did go a bit too far and was so cringy it made me clench my butt-cheeks.
This is a reformed playbook meets girl who's scared he's gonna hurt her (emotionally), which if you REALLY think about it is just slut-shaming lmfaooooo. Like reverse the roles and the girlies would be RIOTING. Dissertations would be WRITTEN. She literally didn't want to date him because he had HOESSSSSSS in a variety of area codes. Just because he has hoes doesn't mean he's at a higher risk of cheating. In fact, I strongly believe criminally horny men who never had hoes will jump at the first opportunity to cheat because they can't believe someone else is actually interested in them. Plus, Carter wasn't a cheater and he was always forthcoming that he didn't want serious things, but lil (and I mean that literally, as we're reminded of her height MULTIPLE times) miss Olivia 'Pick-Me' Parker vehemently believed he was gonna betray her.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, idk) this dynamic, along with her back, was blown to smithereens 25% of the way through the book when Olivia initiated activities with Carter. I was baffled at this point because we still had some 400 pages... so what, they were just gonna be in love for the rest of the book? This was super disappointing considering they only hung out twice in group settings before she decided to throw her bra to the wind and buss down. I thought we were gonna get more bants, more 1:1 dates, more VIBES. But nope.
Next, I'm not sure if Olivia had an off-page lobotomy but she kept asking Carter "how are you single?" Uhhh because he wanted to be? Also unsure if time in this fictional world worked like dog years because these two literally knew each other for less than two moon cycles and kept saying shit like "I know them well-enough..." and "I've known them long enough..." NO TF YOU HAVEN'T. I've had longer relationships with the condiments in my fridge. It was total insta-love. And Carter saying he knew it was real because he couldn't get over her... they literally didn't speak for 7 days. *bangs head against desk*
The characterizations were all over the place. Carter was giving crackhead golden retriever most of the times and was quite vocal about how he didn't know how to act in relationships. But then they'd be in the bath and he's be giving Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe a run for their money with the romance bars he was dropping. Pick a lane. Is he a relationship God or a manchild with a black hole for a stomach? He can't be both if he has no frame of reference for relationships.
Okay this is getting way too long but there were also several moments where Freud entered the chat. I don't want to bring that Sweet Home Alabama energy into this review so I'll leave it there. Describing the sound of his "snake" slithering across the bedsheets should be classified as a felony. And lastly, he cannot be nine inches yet "buried to the hilt." Google is free. It's seven inches max. No one asked for nine. If you saw nine IRL you'd scream at a pitch only dogs can hear.
Yes, still three stars because at no point did I want to DNF so that counts for something.
pros & cons
pros: despite being the length of an encyclopedia this felt like a quick-ish read, some legit funny moments, secondary characters added to the story in a fun/meaningful way
cons: butt-cheek clenching cringe moments, romantic dynamic folded like a lawn chair in a hurricane too early, characters were very inconsistent, Olivia 'Pick-Me' Parker is every satirical bit about short girls... tbh she wasn't cool enough for Carter, I can't believe I'm saying this but the spice was boring af
____
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
June 2, 2022
Let me start by saying that if you’re ever going to take a book rec from me, please make it this one. I’m gold buzzering this book to my top 10 of the year list and I know I’ll have zero regrets about it in December.
Carter Beckett is officially my new all time favorite book boyfriend. The way that he fell so hard for Olivia and acted like the cutest lost puppy begging for scraps of her attention was the best thing I’ve ever read. The way he acted, the things he said, just everything about him was more than I ever realized I wanted to see from a book boyfriend.
I think the best part of this story though was the way they built up their relationship - they were both so understanding and had the best communication I’ve ever seen in any book I’ve ever read. I’m pretty sure my relationship standards just skyrocketed to a level no other book is ever going to be able to compare to.
But with that said, I’m going to quickly complain about the ending conflict - I saw it coming from the second the forshadowings were placed and the way it all played out felt very rushed. But what really bothered me about it was that it felt very out of character for both Olivia and Carter and therefore it bothered me even more because it felt like it was just there because there needed to be a Big Bang before the HEA
The thing is, this is one of those books where the journey is more important than the destination - and the journey was everything so I’m going to forget about that little hiccup at the end and say that I highly recommend checking this book out
Carter Beckett is officially my new all time favorite book boyfriend. The way that he fell so hard for Olivia and acted like the cutest lost puppy begging for scraps of her attention was the best thing I’ve ever read. The way he acted, the things he said, just everything about him was more than I ever realized I wanted to see from a book boyfriend.
I think the best part of this story though was the way they built up their relationship - they were both so understanding and had the best communication I’ve ever seen in any book I’ve ever read. I’m pretty sure my relationship standards just skyrocketed to a level no other book is ever going to be able to compare to.
But with that said, I’m going to quickly complain about the ending conflict - I saw it coming from the second the forshadowings were placed and the way it all played out felt very rushed. But what really bothered me about it was that it felt very out of character for both Olivia and Carter and therefore it bothered me even more because it felt like it was just there because there needed to be a Big Bang before the HEA
The thing is, this is one of those books where the journey is more important than the destination - and the journey was everything so I’m going to forget about that little hiccup at the end and say that I highly recommend checking this book out
October 13, 2022
this book was so cute!!! picture me: feet in the air, giggling like a fool at words on paper.
there were times it was a bit too cheesy for me and it was a little too long which is why it wasn’t a 5 star but i loved the characters & the vibes.
hockey romances >>>
“what if I fall in love with you?”
“then I’ll fall with you, too, ollie girl.”
there were times it was a bit too cheesy for me and it was a little too long which is why it wasn’t a 5 star but i loved the characters & the vibes.
hockey romances >>>
“what if I fall in love with you?”
“then I’ll fall with you, too, ollie girl.”
May 5, 2022
Had to DNF 63%
This book was so long ! it honestly could have finished around 50% with courtney being the main conflict and them dealing with it and then done.
It felt like the personalities were Big man who eats a lot, childish, blurts out stuff and Small girl who is tiny and has nicknames and is insecure
It seemed like the characters completely changed their personalities by like 30% and everything kinda lost its appeal to me. Also he did so much shit for her and what did she do besides doubt him and be tiny?? It could have been nice to see her like plan meals and cook for him or some shit that's thoughtful cause he was putting in work.
Also the smut just didn't do it for me and the phrasing of some of the stuff made me cringe so hard and I almost put the book down right there.
How many times was the word toque used in this book, I get that the book is based in Canada and that's what we call some hats but jesus I'm Canadian and have never heard that word used so much.
This book was so long ! it honestly could have finished around 50% with courtney being the main conflict and them dealing with it and then done.
It felt like the personalities were Big man who eats a lot, childish, blurts out stuff and Small girl who is tiny and has nicknames and is insecure
It seemed like the characters completely changed their personalities by like 30% and everything kinda lost its appeal to me. Also he did so much shit for her and what did she do besides doubt him and be tiny?? It could have been nice to see her like plan meals and cook for him or some shit that's thoughtful cause he was putting in work.
Also the smut just didn't do it for me and the phrasing of some of the stuff made me cringe so hard and I almost put the book down right there.
How many times was the word toque used in this book, I get that the book is based in Canada and that's what we call some hats but jesus I'm Canadian and have never heard that word used so much.
December 21, 2023
girl who makes her short height her entire personality. boy who chases her around like a dog bc hes used to getting girls easily. mmm so original
January 9, 2023
4.5*
I finally finished it! Every time I’d pick up this book it would ALWAYS bring a huge smile to my face. Ugh, I love OliviaCarter sm.
Wow so this took three months for me to read but it still never lessened the amount of love I had for Carter. 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡-𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐌𝐂 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭. The way he dotes on Olivia is just so stinkin’ cute. Ugh, he always says the right things and I had no option but to love him. The choice was out of my hands 🤷🏻♀️
𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞. I have to say she did annoy me at the start but that’s the whole point of character development. The way she opened up and really loved him back gave me so much satisfaction. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐎 𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄!
𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. He’s such a softie for Ollie and it makes me so giddy. Every time he’s thinking of her it brings this huge ass smile to my face that makes my cheeks hurt. He’d always find ways to link her to his every thought and ugh. I need a Carter 😩
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
Omg, I CANNOT WAIT TO START GARETT’S BOOK! I just know it’s gonna be GOOD.
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Got it like that - Jae stephens
All I need - kid Travis
Come undone - Tove lo
Combination - Thalia falcon
Keeps on falling - babyface ft. Ella Mai
Luckiest man - Chris brown
Up to you — prettymuch
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡.
𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞.
𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡. 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞.
𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡. 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞.”
“𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲. 𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗲.”
~so cuteeee
“𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲. 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿…𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁. 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗢𝗹. 𝗔 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
“𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚.”
“I lean against the bedroom door. “𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗶𝗿?”
𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐬. “𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀.”
~STOP IT THEY’RE FUCKING ADORABLE
“𝗜’𝗺 𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯��� 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲.” 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞.
~ Carter Ilysm
“𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻…𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗲. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲.”
~sigh
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲.”
“𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗲𝗼𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗜’𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀.”
~that’s huge
𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
Midnight kisses - Jeanine Benedict
Icebreaker - Hannah Grace
The score - Elle Kennedy
I finally finished it! Every time I’d pick up this book it would ALWAYS bring a huge smile to my face. Ugh, I love OliviaCarter sm.
Wow so this took three months for me to read but it still never lessened the amount of love I had for Carter. 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡-𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐌𝐂 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭. The way he dotes on Olivia is just so stinkin’ cute. Ugh, he always says the right things and I had no option but to love him. The choice was out of my hands 🤷🏻♀️
𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞. I have to say she did annoy me at the start but that’s the whole point of character development. The way she opened up and really loved him back gave me so much satisfaction. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐎 𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄!
𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. He’s such a softie for Ollie and it makes me so giddy. Every time he’s thinking of her it brings this huge ass smile to my face that makes my cheeks hurt. He’d always find ways to link her to his every thought and ugh. I need a Carter 😩
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
Omg, I CANNOT WAIT TO START GARETT’S BOOK! I just know it’s gonna be GOOD.
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Got it like that - Jae stephens
All I need - kid Travis
Come undone - Tove lo
Combination - Thalia falcon
Keeps on falling - babyface ft. Ella Mai
Luckiest man - Chris brown
Up to you — prettymuch
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡.
𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞.
𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡. 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞.
𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡. 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞.”
“𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲. 𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗲.”
~so cuteeee
“𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲. 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿…𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁. 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗢𝗹. 𝗔 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
“𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚.”
“I lean against the bedroom door. “𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗶𝗿?”
𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐬. “𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀.”
~STOP IT THEY’RE FUCKING ADORABLE
“𝗜’𝗺 𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯��� 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲.” 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞.
~ Carter Ilysm
“𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻…𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗲. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲.”
~sigh
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗢𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲.”
“𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗲𝗼𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗜’𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀.”
~that’s huge
𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
Midnight kisses - Jeanine Benedict
Icebreaker - Hannah Grace
The score - Elle Kennedy
July 10, 2022
I would have preferred not having sex scenes and the book being 400 pages shorter.
So yes, we get it. She was afraid of his manwhore ways before he met her, but man, way too many pages of it…
Of course I liked Carter and also loved Olivia but this book dragged the issues for a long, long loooooong time and that kinda ruined the whole thing.
So yes, we get it. She was afraid of his manwhore ways before he met her, but man, way too many pages of it…
Of course I liked Carter and also loved Olivia but this book dragged the issues for a long, long loooooong time and that kinda ruined the whole thing.
October 31, 2023
1/5
All these characters need to grow the f up.
All these characters need to grow the f up.
September 15, 2023
i feel sad for the trees that were cut down to make the paper for this stupid fuckin book !!! yes it took me 11 months to finish this lol shhh
April 18, 2024
desperately needed to drown myself in bleach after whatever this shitshow was
June 25, 2022
more thoughts to come after my vlog is up
dnf
July 1, 2023dnf @15%
it was funny for a bit then it stopped being funny. this man sounds like a predator. and how many times do i have to hear how tiny she is when she’s only 5’1. i can’t put myself through more torture sorry cait ❤️🩹
───
BR w caitycat 💘
will we love it or hate it i can’t wait to find out 🤭
it was funny for a bit then it stopped being funny. this man sounds like a predator. and how many times do i have to hear how tiny she is when she’s only 5’1. i can’t put myself through more torture sorry cait ❤️🩹
───
BR w caitycat 💘
will we love it or hate it i can’t wait to find out 🤭
March 27, 2024
Stop ✋️ the first time they sleep together he crawls across the bed for her and it describes how his Wang makes a slithering sound across the bedsheets. 💀 I am deceased. Traumatized and deceased. I've read some foul, disgusting shit and ENJOYED IT but this shocked me to my very core.
The main plot point of this book was also that he was kind of a whore so Ollie didn't trust him. 400 plus pages of that made me want to take a puck and see if someone would be able to hit it hard enough to breach my frontal lobe. So yeah... that was fun.
I feel like I'm so freaking weird because I'm more interested in them having intense hockey matches than all the PR stuff that kept popping up. 😭 Throwing myself into traffick BRB
The main plot point of this book was also that he was kind of a whore so Ollie didn't trust him. 400 plus pages of that made me want to take a puck and see if someone would be able to hit it hard enough to breach my frontal lobe. So yeah... that was fun.
I feel like I'm so freaking weird because I'm more interested in them having intense hockey matches than all the PR stuff that kept popping up. 😭 Throwing myself into traffick BRB
August 30, 2025
✩ 3.75 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Reformed Playboy
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Hockey Captain x Teacher
➼ He’s Obsessed w/Her
➼ Found Family
➼ 3rd Act Break Up
➼ Hockey Romance
➼ Mild Pregnancy Trope
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
My opinion of this book and these characters was all over the place as I read. I really struggled with both MC’s at the beginning. I frankly hated the man he was at the start and I didn’t see how he could possibly be portrayed in a positive light after saying so many negative and degrading things about women. It did seem like many of the women he encountered were after money or status more than love, but the way he talked about them made me feel kind of sick. He implied that all of his callous actions were justified because these were the type of women you use and discard after a night. Just gross.
The FMC wasn’t much better. She was of course the one woman who stood her ground and turned down his advances which further sparked his interest. This was predictable, but would have been fine if she didn’t have such a low opinion of herself. I hated reading about her putting herself down and elevating other women above herself. Based on his description of her, she was very clearly beautiful, and I would have preferred a strong FMC who knew her worth over one who didn’t believe that he could ever want her.
Since these were my initial feelings towards the characters, I really thought I was going to hate this, but miraculously the author turned things around. The MC’s character pretty much did a complete 180 and became the most perfect doting boyfriend basically overnight. He was so sincerely sweet to her but it never felt hokey or over the top. Any time he saw that she had a need, he immediately fulfilled it. He was very wealthy, but it was clear that none of his wealth really meant anything to him and he was quick to give it away.
For a couple hundred pages, I was really loving this and then the book started to feel overly long. I also could have really done without the 3rd act break up although I will admit that it was better handled than most I’ve read. And then… the author threw in a pregnancy trope at the end just for funsies. She placed it far enough down the line in their relationship that I think most people won’t be overly upset by its inclusion, but it really didn’t need to be part of the storyline at all.
I feel like I had a good time with this one almost in spite of myself and I will say that he turned out to be a very good boyfriend. As hockey romances go, I enjoyed this one more than most. I can already guess at who the next book will likely be about and that’s definitely a book I would read! I also appreciated that this was Canadian because it just feels right for a hockey romance to be based in Canada. 😁 If you hate long romances, this one might not be for you, but I thought it was worth it in the end.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I got this audio for free on book lovers day! Excited to read a new hockey romance! 🏒🥅
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Reformed Playboy
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Hockey Captain x Teacher
➼ He’s Obsessed w/Her
➼ Found Family
➼ 3rd Act Break Up
➼ Hockey Romance
➼ Mild Pregnancy Trope
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
My opinion of this book and these characters was all over the place as I read. I really struggled with both MC’s at the beginning. I frankly hated the man he was at the start and I didn’t see how he could possibly be portrayed in a positive light after saying so many negative and degrading things about women. It did seem like many of the women he encountered were after money or status more than love, but the way he talked about them made me feel kind of sick. He implied that all of his callous actions were justified because these were the type of women you use and discard after a night. Just gross.
The FMC wasn’t much better. She was of course the one woman who stood her ground and turned down his advances which further sparked his interest. This was predictable, but would have been fine if she didn’t have such a low opinion of herself. I hated reading about her putting herself down and elevating other women above herself. Based on his description of her, she was very clearly beautiful, and I would have preferred a strong FMC who knew her worth over one who didn’t believe that he could ever want her.
Since these were my initial feelings towards the characters, I really thought I was going to hate this, but miraculously the author turned things around. The MC’s character pretty much did a complete 180 and became the most perfect doting boyfriend basically overnight. He was so sincerely sweet to her but it never felt hokey or over the top. Any time he saw that she had a need, he immediately fulfilled it. He was very wealthy, but it was clear that none of his wealth really meant anything to him and he was quick to give it away.
For a couple hundred pages, I was really loving this and then the book started to feel overly long. I also could have really done without the 3rd act break up although I will admit that it was better handled than most I’ve read. And then… the author threw in a pregnancy trope at the end just for funsies. She placed it far enough down the line in their relationship that I think most people won’t be overly upset by its inclusion, but it really didn’t need to be part of the storyline at all.
I feel like I had a good time with this one almost in spite of myself and I will say that he turned out to be a very good boyfriend. As hockey romances go, I enjoyed this one more than most. I can already guess at who the next book will likely be about and that’s definitely a book I would read! I also appreciated that this was Canadian because it just feels right for a hockey romance to be based in Canada. 😁 If you hate long romances, this one might not be for you, but I thought it was worth it in the end.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I got this audio for free on book lovers day! Excited to read a new hockey romance! 🏒🥅
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
July 29, 2022
I would rather gouge my eyes out than keep reading this. The fact that it has a 4.23 average honestly baffles me and gives me great concerns over the reading level of the world's population.
I know I haven't finished it, but the characters are all super one-dimensional and poorly written. The writing is literally like :
"I'm the male main character. I love sleeping around and I'm a total douchebag to the girls I fuck. Watch me totally humiliate this chick that wants to spend the night. But oh wait, who is that sexy petite lady I see over there ? And how dare she reject me ? I must thus now make her mine and completely change my ways, and we're only 3 chapters in. I am now going full on romantic on this girl, even though I have only met her".
"I'm the female main character. I am grossed out by the MMC because he's a raging manwhore. I am also nothing like the women he dates since I'm a brunette and I'm short. Did I mention I hate the MMC? Even though he's like, totally hot. I'm going to be a bitch to him for no reason. Oh and to not let you forget I'm super short, I'm gonna keep bringing it up every 2 minutes".
The sentences I was forced to read were also so. freaking. cringe.
Like how the hell was this published ????
Chapter 2:
Hooking her arms through ours, she guides us into the bar.
-“You guys are gonna have the best time, I just know it. My friends are amazeballs, ’specially my bestie. I can’t wait for you to meet her!”
Chapter 4:
“Tell you what, shorty. I’ll give you my number. I never give it out to girls. You’d be the first.” There’s an air about him, a smugness shining in his eyes telling me he thinks this is it. This will be what reels me in. “Because you’re special, Olivia.”
So what, he barely even knows this woman and he can already tell shEs Not LikE otHer GirlS ?!?!?
Chapter 6:
“Checking me out?”
Her lips part, head wagging. “I-I…what? I wasn’t…checking you…what?”
Well, fuck me sideways and call me Sally. This is a first. She sure knows how to pump my ego when it doesn’t need pumping.
KILL ME NOW !
DNF at around 20%.
I know I haven't finished it, but the characters are all super one-dimensional and poorly written. The writing is literally like :
"I'm the male main character. I love sleeping around and I'm a total douchebag to the girls I fuck. Watch me totally humiliate this chick that wants to spend the night. But oh wait, who is that sexy petite lady I see over there ? And how dare she reject me ? I must thus now make her mine and completely change my ways, and we're only 3 chapters in. I am now going full on romantic on this girl, even though I have only met her".
"I'm the female main character. I am grossed out by the MMC because he's a raging manwhore. I am also nothing like the women he dates since I'm a brunette and I'm short. Did I mention I hate the MMC? Even though he's like, totally hot. I'm going to be a bitch to him for no reason. Oh and to not let you forget I'm super short, I'm gonna keep bringing it up every 2 minutes".
The sentences I was forced to read were also so. freaking. cringe.
Like how the hell was this published ????
Chapter 2:
Hooking her arms through ours, she guides us into the bar.
-“You guys are gonna have the best time, I just know it. My friends are amazeballs, ’specially my bestie. I can’t wait for you to meet her!”
Chapter 4:
“Tell you what, shorty. I’ll give you my number. I never give it out to girls. You’d be the first.” There’s an air about him, a smugness shining in his eyes telling me he thinks this is it. This will be what reels me in. “Because you’re special, Olivia.”
So what, he barely even knows this woman and he can already tell shEs Not LikE otHer GirlS ?!?!?
Chapter 6:
“Checking me out?”
Her lips part, head wagging. “I-I…what? I wasn’t…checking you…what?”
Well, fuck me sideways and call me Sally. This is a first. She sure knows how to pump my ego when it doesn’t need pumping.
KILL ME NOW !
DNF at around 20%.
December 21, 2022
2.5 stars
I am definitely in the minority of this book but wow did I not like this. First, the heroine is a teacher and it's really hard for me to read about characters with that job because I'm a teacher. There were some things that happened that would ABSOLUTELY not happen in a school the way they played out, so it took me out of the story. I really loved Carter and how hard and fast he fell for the heroine. His character was fun and I really enjoyed him. But how many times can the heroine push him away because he used to be a playboy? Apparently 4+ times. I was so over her being insecure and not trusting him just because he had a reputation before he met her. Then, halfway through the book, they were pretty established and that made me even more bored because I was just reading about them in love and moving in together. The final conflict annoyed me SO MUCH because Carter literally just had to tell her what was happening. Instead, he just told her something horrible happened, so she assumes the worst and leaves. JUST TELL HER WHAT HAPPENED. This was just too long and had too many of the same conflicts rehashed over and over again.
I am definitely in the minority of this book but wow did I not like this. First, the heroine is a teacher and it's really hard for me to read about characters with that job because I'm a teacher. There were some things that happened that would ABSOLUTELY not happen in a school the way they played out, so it took me out of the story. I really loved Carter and how hard and fast he fell for the heroine. His character was fun and I really enjoyed him. But how many times can the heroine push him away because he used to be a playboy? Apparently 4+ times. I was so over her being insecure and not trusting him just because he had a reputation before he met her. Then, halfway through the book, they were pretty established and that made me even more bored because I was just reading about them in love and moving in together. The final conflict annoyed me SO MUCH because Carter literally just had to tell her what was happening. Instead, he just told her something horrible happened, so she assumes the worst and leaves. JUST TELL HER WHAT HAPPENED. This was just too long and had too many of the same conflicts rehashed over and over again.
April 28, 2025
“𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝒻𝓇𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝑜𝒻?” “𝐹𝒶𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔,” 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓆𝓊𝒾𝑒𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝑀𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒷 𝓈𝓀𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓈𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝓅. “𝐼’𝓁𝓁 𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊.” “𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒?” 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒, 𝐼 𝓈𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁𝓈 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒷𝒾𝓉 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝒻𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝐼 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹. “𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒.”
3.5⭐ rounding up due to the fact that Carter Beckett was the literal definition of golden retriever obsessed with Olivia. Besides that, I had a good time, but nothing stood out for me.
The best example I can give is the quote I used at the top of this review!! Did it make you cringe a little? That’s why I rated it like that 😂 There were so many times where I would wince and be like, "she really be into that? I guess" 😂
The storyline is very simple: Carter can have any woman and he isn’t looking to be tied down until he meets Olivia, and she ain’t falling for his charm, well, not that easily because she eventually CONSIDERS HIM lmao the title dscvbfgtr 😭
I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of Olivia because Carter would go above and beyond for her and she would either not believe the intention behind it or literally shrug it off MEANWHILE I'M HERE SALIVATING 😩 she definitely lasted longer than me. Her insecurities even though are real and can happen to anyone irl I think were a bit dragged on, like THIS MAN ADORES U!! idk just my pov..
The love story was cute, just cringey at times 😬 but I do have to say that the spicy scenes were very delicious 🔥🥵 Even the third act breakup conflict I was able to see it from a mile away and i'm over here like ???? but thankfully they were smart and it got resolved 'quickly'. Other than that, the book wasn’t super memorable for me.
I will continue the series because I heard it gets better, so I’m giving the second one a chance!! 🙌📖
tropes
🏒 hockey romance
🏒 strangers to lovers
🏒 playboy energy mmc
🏒 golden retriever x black cat energy
🏒 third act breakup
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ hello it is I once again adding my audiobook to my CR I heard amazing things so hehe i'm ready
3.5⭐ rounding up due to the fact that Carter Beckett was the literal definition of golden retriever obsessed with Olivia. Besides that, I had a good time, but nothing stood out for me.
The best example I can give is the quote I used at the top of this review!! Did it make you cringe a little? That’s why I rated it like that 😂 There were so many times where I would wince and be like, "she really be into that? I guess" 😂
The storyline is very simple: Carter can have any woman and he isn’t looking to be tied down until he meets Olivia, and she ain’t falling for his charm, well, not that easily because she eventually CONSIDERS HIM lmao the title dscvbfgtr 😭
I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of Olivia because Carter would go above and beyond for her and she would either not believe the intention behind it or literally shrug it off MEANWHILE I'M HERE SALIVATING 😩 she definitely lasted longer than me. Her insecurities even though are real and can happen to anyone irl I think were a bit dragged on, like THIS MAN ADORES U!! idk just my pov..
The love story was cute, just cringey at times 😬 but I do have to say that the spicy scenes were very delicious 🔥🥵 Even the third act breakup conflict I was able to see it from a mile away and i'm over here like ???? but thankfully they were smart and it got resolved 'quickly'. Other than that, the book wasn’t super memorable for me.
I will continue the series because I heard it gets better, so I’m giving the second one a chance!! 🙌📖
tropes
🏒 hockey romance
🏒 strangers to lovers
🏒 playboy energy mmc
🏒 golden retriever x black cat energy
🏒 third act breakup
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ hello it is I once again adding my audiobook to my CR I heard amazing things so hehe i'm ready
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