Face Off: The Raptors Series Book Four

by Caroline Easton

He’s a hockey player trying to reclaim his life. She’s a journalist who’s not afraid to get in the way.

Ollie Taylor’s world has always revolved around the rink, but after a career-threatening injury, every day feels like a battle just to stay in the game. Chloe Miller didn’t come to watch hockey; she came to tell a story. But she’s smart, fearless, and somehow makes him feel seen again, even as the past threatens to pull them under.

Between rehab sessions, team drama, and a hockey family that refuses to let anyone go it alone, Ollie and Chloe discover that love doesn’t play by the rules, resilience comes in many forms, and sometimes risking everything is the only way to win.

A slow-burn romance about second chances, found family, and fighting for what, and who, you love.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2025

About the author

I live in the North of England with my husband and two of my three children. The eldest having flown the nest.

Dancing In The Rain was my first novel and was published in February 2013. My second book, Taking A Risk, a rock star romance novel tells the story of Alex Carter, lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands around, released in 2013.

Hopefully there will be many more books to follow once I quit messing around on all those social networking sites!

You can follow me on twitter @carolinelou70

Reviews

[ravenblackbird74 · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 Face Off: The Raptors Series #4
🖋 Author ~ Caroline Easton
🖋 Features: Sports Romance, Hockey Romance, Contemporary Romance
⭐️ Rating: 5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chloe & Ollie
📖 Enemies to lovers
🏒 Protective hero
📖 Slow burn
🏒 Hockey romance
📖 OW drama
🏒 Secret relationship
📖 Reputation vs Reality
🏒 Forbidden

📖 “Maybe people can be more than their worst mistake.” 🏒

Life is messy...

That's the best way I can describe Chloe and Ollie's story. Their slowburn love is a journey of discovery, forgiveness, and strength. I loved the way that even though Chloe isn't welcomed by the team as their new sports writer, Ollie is at least somewhat reluctant to give her a second chance. After all, Chloe's not the only one who will need a second chance at redemption by the end of the season.

The stunt that Chloe orchestrated was supposed to put her in the spotlight, increase her popularity, show her dad that she wasn't some visible no-talent writer. It backfired and caused a baashlash of drama Chloe faces head-on when she takes that first step into the team's locker room to write her first story. She knew it would be hard, even uncomfortable. She expected the hard looks, the harsh whispers. She didn't expect Ollie to step up and have her back.

I enjoyed Face Off and these two characters. Life is messy. I loved the way Ollie's quiet confidence supported Chloe as she struggled to get out from behind one of the biggest mistakes of her professional life. When Ollie needs it most, Chloe proves herself stronger than she thought as she keeps showing up every day, helping through rehabbing a serious injury. The Raptors Series is about an incredible group of people and teammates that come together, fracture, and heal to come out on the otherside even better than before.

🏒 Hockey is all I’ve got. Without it, I’m just Ollie. And I don’t know who that is.
📖 Ollie Taylor sees me, not just the headlines, not just the mistakes, but the person underneath.

[Wendy Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surviving against the odds, when it seems everyone bar one is against you, knuckle down and focus. A battle from the start, multi level pain and struggle. Two characters each fighting their own issues united for the third, strength, willpower and resilience are needed to get through each day.. Love, loyalty, understanding and care help them cope together against the turmoil that surrounds them. Deep, powerful story full of grit and determination and a couple finally wining their future. Its not a relaxing read, the tension of the characters impacts that, I felt it as I read but I understood the battles and I held onto hope rooting for them. It's a bit darker than the previous three books but fits this couple and as I understood them actions in the past became clearer as well. Twisty and electric book with suspense and winning the prize.

[Jackie Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Face Off is professional hockey player Ollie Taylor and sports journalist Chloe Miller’s slow burn romance and its book four in The Raptors Series. This author is fairly new to me but after falling hard and fast for Ollie I’m left wondering why I haven’t come across her sooner.
Ollie lives for hockey but after a potential career ending injury he is struggling to stay in the game. Between rehab and team drama nothing seems to be working.
Chloe is at the game to tell, a story and she is determined to tell it even if the past threatens both her and Ollie. As this couple get closer they realise love is love and it doesn’t always play by the rules. So will the past make them or destroy them……..
This is a well written story about love, second chances, found family and realising love doesn’t always come easy. The characters are strong and have depth and their story is captivating.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is redeeming herself for her actions of a year ago. He is living with the belief he has never been good enough. She is an imbedded sports reporter with the Raptor's hockey club. He is their favorite wingman. She almost ruined the relationship for the top player of the team. He needs to protect her. They both have secrets. Secrets never stay secrets. When you have other characters still angry over what they almost lost makes it hard to be in the locker room. Father's where you are never good enough. But, Chloe and Ollie keep moving forward as they come to terms with life. I will give you a spoiler (it is a romance!) they have a happy ending. To get the most enjoyment, I recommend you read the series in order.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is book 4 for those Raptors and by now we've met all the key players and I was super excited to get Ollies story.
We knew the joker of the pack would not have a plain story to tell and boy he doesn't make it easy when he sets his sights on Chloe... who just so happens to have ruined team mates Murphys life a few years back.
Turmoil, emotions, and a rollercoaster of crazy times all rolled into one fab story that left me wanting to trip Murphy on the ice at many times while reading LOL
Ollie 10000% found his way into my heart for sure.

[Tangled Titles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been enjoying the raptors series and was happy to see that Ollie was getting his own book. The found family always makes for a great read. I also enjoy how it gives us the players perspective on how they deal with injury, and all the stress that comes with it. Chloé also got her redemption which was refreshing. Just two wounded people finding their way together

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I’m still team Sophie. I really didn’t appreciate Sophie being portrayed as bitter and mean for daring to still be upset about what Chloe did. It certainly did not endear Chloe to me. One thing I don’t like about owd is when the ow is coddled and excuses for her behavior are made.

[Bethany Rayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. Wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Ollie’s story given Chloe’s history but she’d won me over within a few a pages. I read a lot of ice hockey romance and this series in in my top 5. Another great read. Keep them coming 😍

[Bonnie Mancuso · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic job by Caroline Easton. This story is about what it takes to try and come back from a major injury. Wondering how your life will change if you can't. How falling for the wrong girl can come between you and your team. Learning how hard work and perseverance pay off in the end. And maybe she isn't the girl everyone makes her out to be. And maybe she's the perfect girl for you. I have loved the Raptors series from the very beginning. Each book has been amazing. Caroline Easton has done an incredible job.