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Break
What do you do when your best friend doesn't remember sleeping with you?
Forget it ever happened.
Until it's weeks later and I realized I missed a period. The problem with this? With everything? He doesn't want children.
I work up the courage to tell him the truth... then he walks into my clinic... with another woman. "It's serious." He says. "She's moving in." They say.
We live together, both of us raising and taking care of his little sisters. Across the country from the dump we crawled out of, making a name for ourselves.
Him in the NHL, a right winger. Captain of the Minnesota Mavericks.
Me? I set aside my dreams and instead of traveling to another state where I was accepted into medical school, I chose THEM and became a PA instead.
I never regretted it. I'm happy, successful...
But now? I'm ready to run.
Break is the first of a series of standalones that follow the fictional Minnesota Mavericks. Love hockey? Love? What about romance, suspense, and beautiful HEA's?
You've come to the right place.
This book is intended for readers over the age of 18. There may be triggers for sensitive readers, including, strong language, mature adult content and situations, and pregnancy.
Also included: friends to lovers, best friends to lovers, sports romance, MF romance, surprise pregnancy, and a multiples pregnancy.
Enjoy!
Forget it ever happened.
Until it's weeks later and I realized I missed a period. The problem with this? With everything? He doesn't want children.
I work up the courage to tell him the truth... then he walks into my clinic... with another woman. "It's serious." He says. "She's moving in." They say.
We live together, both of us raising and taking care of his little sisters. Across the country from the dump we crawled out of, making a name for ourselves.
Him in the NHL, a right winger. Captain of the Minnesota Mavericks.
Me? I set aside my dreams and instead of traveling to another state where I was accepted into medical school, I chose THEM and became a PA instead.
I never regretted it. I'm happy, successful...
But now? I'm ready to run.
Break is the first of a series of standalones that follow the fictional Minnesota Mavericks. Love hockey? Love? What about romance, suspense, and beautiful HEA's?
You've come to the right place.
This book is intended for readers over the age of 18. There may be triggers for sensitive readers, including, strong language, mature adult content and situations, and pregnancy.
Also included: friends to lovers, best friends to lovers, sports romance, MF romance, surprise pregnancy, and a multiples pregnancy.
Enjoy!
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2021
243 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
A.B. Marie
25 books37 followersAuthor of romance books. Eater of tamales. Mother of demons.
Email: abmarie_author@outlook.com
Website: https://abmarie.godaddysites.com
Keep in touch!
Email: abmarie_author@outlook.com
Website: https://abmarie.godaddysites.com
Keep in touch!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 28, 2024
1. The premise of this book was ridiculous. The H, James, lived with his best friend, Marie, and his two teenage sisters. Marie had pretty much given up her life to follow him to another state to help raise his sisters while James was in the NHL. Out of the blue, James announced that he was moving his new “girlfriend” into their home, a gf that no one had met or even heard of until that day. This was a woman that he had only slept with a few times; they had never even dated and he definitely wasn’t in love with her. There was no logical reason for him insisting on living with this woman.
a. He suspected, right from the start, that she was trying to trick him into a pregnancy. He wouldn’t even have sex with her until he had a vasectomy.
b. He called her “snooty”.
c. He said, “she’s never truly worked a day in her life.”
d. He said the relationship was “already a nightmare” before she’d even moved in.
e. She was rude to Marie and his two sisters right in front of him.
f. She made Marie and his sisters feel unwelcome in their own home.
g. She took down all the photos of his sisters and replaced them with pictures of herself.
h. He admitted they had nothing in common.
i. She kept pushing him to agree to having children with her despite him telling her from the start that he didn’t intend to ever have any.
2. James said that he wasn’t planning on asking his girlfriend to move in; it just “came out” of his mouth. That’s how he made a life changing decision? A decision that affected not only him but Marie and his two young sisters?
3. Needed editing. Eg. “past times” instead of pastimes”, “MD’s” instead of “MDs”, “we’ll text you ever damn hour”, “All right. You guys have the reigns”, “…we need to bring home that f#%king cup, and I clear?”, “amount of rooms” instead of “number of rooms”.
4. So slow and boring. I’m at 70% and James is still having $ex with his “girlfriend” and there hasn’t even been a kiss between him and Marie.
5. Suddenly, at 80%, James suggested that he and Marie have sex because they were both “horny”. This might be the most unromantic “romance” I’ve ever read. DNF
a. He suspected, right from the start, that she was trying to trick him into a pregnancy. He wouldn’t even have sex with her until he had a vasectomy.
b. He called her “snooty”.
c. He said, “she’s never truly worked a day in her life.”
d. He said the relationship was “already a nightmare” before she’d even moved in.
e. She was rude to Marie and his two sisters right in front of him.
f. She made Marie and his sisters feel unwelcome in their own home.
g. She took down all the photos of his sisters and replaced them with pictures of herself.
h. He admitted they had nothing in common.
i. She kept pushing him to agree to having children with her despite him telling her from the start that he didn’t intend to ever have any.
2. James said that he wasn’t planning on asking his girlfriend to move in; it just “came out” of his mouth. That’s how he made a life changing decision? A decision that affected not only him but Marie and his two young sisters?
3. Needed editing. Eg. “past times” instead of pastimes”, “MD’s” instead of “MDs”, “we’ll text you ever damn hour”, “All right. You guys have the reigns”, “…we need to bring home that f#%king cup, and I clear?”, “amount of rooms” instead of “number of rooms”.
4. So slow and boring. I’m at 70% and James is still having $ex with his “girlfriend” and there hasn’t even been a kiss between him and Marie.
5. Suddenly, at 80%, James suggested that he and Marie have sex because they were both “horny”. This might be the most unromantic “romance” I’ve ever read. DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2025
James was holding an umbrella when it was raining brains 🤦🏼♀️. Dumbest H ever.
Aside from needing a good edit, this was flat, lacking in emotion and boring. And don't even get me started on the constant winking (38 times!!) 🙄
Aside from needing a good edit, this was flat, lacking in emotion and boring. And don't even get me started on the constant winking (38 times!!) 🙄
February 2, 2025
So dumb.
So boring.
Such a waste of my day.
So boring.
Such a waste of my day.
November 7, 2023
I really liked the no-nonsense heroine. She was portrayed as strong and independent.
The book could've done with some serious editing.
The book could've done with some serious editing.
December 8, 2024
He’s clueless and dumb as rock and she’s not much better.
July 31, 2025
Rough start, kind of felt like we were thrown into an already started story and we had to catch up to understand anything. This went on throughout chapters when new things were introduced, made for a patchy flow altogether. Our FMC is written as a badass, she’s met with an unexpected pregnancy and a useless man, so she takes charge and makes changes. Puts her babies, and the MMC’s twin sisters first. Does what she has to do. He just waffles for a not so nice woman. He comes around of course, but his path there was painful. I was cussing his stupidity out the whole way.
May 27, 2025
Pathetic
No backstory or trauma excuses the fact that he is selfish, immature and stupid. She is a next level doormat and there is literally nothing about either of them that makes it matter if they are together or not.
No backstory or trauma excuses the fact that he is selfish, immature and stupid. She is a next level doormat and there is literally nothing about either of them that makes it matter if they are together or not.
February 6, 2025
Overall, this book was a relatively short read and I felt fairly engaged for the duration of the story but boy was it infuriating.
In the book we have Marie (FMC) and James (MMC) who have been friends since birth, having survived traumatic childhood experiences together. They live together and have been raising James’ younger twin sisters together for almost a decade. In all that time, they’ve both secretly pined for the other but never acted on it or let the other know their feelings. Then one night, a few weeks prior to the book starting, they drunkenly hookup - a hookup that Marie remembers but James does not. James acts as if the hookup never happened, because in his mind it didn’t. A few weeks after they hookup Marie, who is a PA, finds out she is pregnant.
The same day (or next day, can’t remember) that Marie finds out she is pregnant James enters the clinic she works at with a woman. Marie is confused and James introducing his girlfriend, Alex, and states he wants to get a STD panel done so he and his girlfriend can hookup bare because she has a latex allergy. This was beyond gut wrenching for Marie, she had no knowledge of who this woman was. To add to it, he announces at the appointment that Alex is going to move into their house. Marie is crushed and moves out and essentially ghosts James because she can’t wrap her head around being around him and his new girlfriend while carrying his child. Additionally, she was completely blindsided that he wants to move someone in that she’s never met nor has his teenage twin sisters met. Shortly after Marie moves out the sisters also move in with Marie because they can’t stand Alex. James, being the idiot he is, cannot understand how he lost the three most important people in his life. He is beyond confused why his sisters and Marie want nothing to do with him. James is the biggest idiot there is, I can’t fathom someone being that clueless. He moved in Alex without discussion and she was extremely rude and dismissive. She removed all family photos of the girls around his house and replaced them with herself. She constantly talks about wanting to move into an even bigger house, one where the girls won’t even have a bedroom. James never stands up for the girls or even opens his eyes to realize what a vile person Alex is.
James eventually realizes that Marie is pregnant, after hooking up with her post his breakup with Alex. James moves in with Marie and she reveals that the twins she is carrying are his. And what does he do?! He up and disappears for 1 month and misses the birth of the twins. He comes to the hospital hours later and says he’s been working on himself and wanted to become a better man, etc. and Marie just accepts him back. This is around the 95% part of the book. I was mind blown. This guy finds out he is going to be a father and just goes radio silent for a whole month, misses the birth of his children, and the swoops in last minute and gets the happy ending? Nope not buying it. He was beyond immature and didn’t deserve the happy ending he got.
In the book we have Marie (FMC) and James (MMC) who have been friends since birth, having survived traumatic childhood experiences together. They live together and have been raising James’ younger twin sisters together for almost a decade. In all that time, they’ve both secretly pined for the other but never acted on it or let the other know their feelings. Then one night, a few weeks prior to the book starting, they drunkenly hookup - a hookup that Marie remembers but James does not. James acts as if the hookup never happened, because in his mind it didn’t. A few weeks after they hookup Marie, who is a PA, finds out she is pregnant.
The same day (or next day, can’t remember) that Marie finds out she is pregnant James enters the clinic she works at with a woman. Marie is confused and James introducing his girlfriend, Alex, and states he wants to get a STD panel done so he and his girlfriend can hookup bare because she has a latex allergy. This was beyond gut wrenching for Marie, she had no knowledge of who this woman was. To add to it, he announces at the appointment that Alex is going to move into their house. Marie is crushed and moves out and essentially ghosts James because she can’t wrap her head around being around him and his new girlfriend while carrying his child. Additionally, she was completely blindsided that he wants to move someone in that she’s never met nor has his teenage twin sisters met. Shortly after Marie moves out the sisters also move in with Marie because they can’t stand Alex. James, being the idiot he is, cannot understand how he lost the three most important people in his life. He is beyond confused why his sisters and Marie want nothing to do with him. James is the biggest idiot there is, I can’t fathom someone being that clueless. He moved in Alex without discussion and she was extremely rude and dismissive. She removed all family photos of the girls around his house and replaced them with herself. She constantly talks about wanting to move into an even bigger house, one where the girls won’t even have a bedroom. James never stands up for the girls or even opens his eyes to realize what a vile person Alex is.
James eventually realizes that Marie is pregnant, after hooking up with her post his breakup with Alex. James moves in with Marie and she reveals that the twins she is carrying are his. And what does he do?! He up and disappears for 1 month and misses the birth of the twins. He comes to the hospital hours later and says he’s been working on himself and wanted to become a better man, etc. and Marie just accepts him back. This is around the 95% part of the book. I was mind blown. This guy finds out he is going to be a father and just goes radio silent for a whole month, misses the birth of his children, and the swoops in last minute and gets the happy ending? Nope not buying it. He was beyond immature and didn’t deserve the happy ending he got.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
June 6, 2025
He Fucks Off And Lets Her Endure The Pregnancy Alone, After Fucking OW, Byt Its Ok, He Got Therapy
Wow, with those last pages you absolutely killed all character development.
James is a deadbeat.
Always was, and Always will be.
All deadbeats show up for the special days so they can claim the Default Daddy label.
Didn't go to any appointments with her, at very vulnerable time during twins.
This isn't love, its neglect.
Fuck Therapy.
Fuck anyone who thinks therapy is a nice Get Out Of Jail Free Card.
Gawd he's horrible, feeding off her emotionally over and over.
And isn't there when it matters.
But its ok, shes not real.
If she was poor, she would never have forgiven him that easy for abandoning her.
But shes not real, not meant to be a real characters.
She exists for the Trauma Tourists with Daddy Issues, who will forgive that absent fucker anything, just if they would remember they exist.
Toxic cunt wasn't even there for the last trimester, the hardest one, nor the birth of his children.
But sure, "therapy" guys, hes getting therapy.
He is a narcissist.
Wow, with those last pages you absolutely killed all character development.
James is a deadbeat.
Always was, and Always will be.
All deadbeats show up for the special days so they can claim the Default Daddy label.
Didn't go to any appointments with her, at very vulnerable time during twins.
This isn't love, its neglect.
Fuck Therapy.
Fuck anyone who thinks therapy is a nice Get Out Of Jail Free Card.
Gawd he's horrible, feeding off her emotionally over and over.
And isn't there when it matters.
But its ok, shes not real.
If she was poor, she would never have forgiven him that easy for abandoning her.
But shes not real, not meant to be a real characters.
She exists for the Trauma Tourists with Daddy Issues, who will forgive that absent fucker anything, just if they would remember they exist.
Toxic cunt wasn't even there for the last trimester, the hardest one, nor the birth of his children.
But sure, "therapy" guys, hes getting therapy.
He is a narcissist.
December 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this story. Great characters and a fast pace to the storytelling. Only negative was the hero being dumb as a stump at times. Great quick read.
November 7, 2024
In many ways a very disjointed book so it reads more like a fairy tale than a coherent story. The h and H had similar trailer park backgrounds with neglectful parents who had drug and alcohol addictions. The h supported the H in caring for his twin younger sisters, moving in with them while he pursued a hockey career. Apparently they both secretly love each other although they don't seem to act on it. The H is OK with the h dating his teammates. After a drunken celebration, the h finds herself pregnant at the same time that she is introduced to the H's girlfriend who is moving in with them. The h moves out. The H's sister's move in with the h. The H's girlfriend is shallow. They don't socialize with the team or even go out to dinner. No one is nice to each other. The girlfriend keeps talking about a bigger house, having children and getting engaged. It's hard to understand why it takes so long for the H to figure out it's not working and to end the relationship. The h has kept the news of his fatherhood from the H since he is adamant about not having children to the point of getting a vasectomy. The H abandons the h without talking to her ostensibly to get therapy and gives a perfunctory apology which the h accepts.
December 12, 2024
Desperate need of editing
Two stars because most of the plot is decent. However, this book is in serious need of an editor. There are so many grammatical errors that it is hard to read at points. This "book" reads like a 1st draft, and that's just sad.
As far as the plot goes, the whole having Alex move in without discussing it with anyone was ridiculous. Also, how James let her treat his sisters was nonsensical. James is spineless throughout the entire book and honestly doesn't really do anything to redeem himself. It's crazy. The best part of reading from his POV was when his coach reemed him on the bus toward the end of the book. Dude seriously needed a kick in the gonades more than once.
Two stars because most of the plot is decent. However, this book is in serious need of an editor. There are so many grammatical errors that it is hard to read at points. This "book" reads like a 1st draft, and that's just sad.
As far as the plot goes, the whole having Alex move in without discussing it with anyone was ridiculous. Also, how James let her treat his sisters was nonsensical. James is spineless throughout the entire book and honestly doesn't really do anything to redeem himself. It's crazy. The best part of reading from his POV was when his coach reemed him on the bus toward the end of the book. Dude seriously needed a kick in the gonades more than once.
January 15, 2025
I have no idea why I bothered to finish this- what a useless and selfish MMC
February 25, 2025
This guy SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS. I think he’s one of the worst H I read, EVER.
June 12, 2025
Almost Honest With Each Other
They've been best friends their whole lives and raised each other to get beyond their trailer park beginnings. Growing up with alcoholic drug-using parents, they made sure they and his sisters were fed, clothed, and safe. They made it to college and became successful in their careers, but they forgot to be honest with each other when it came to their feelings for each other.
They've been best friends their whole lives and raised each other to get beyond their trailer park beginnings. Growing up with alcoholic drug-using parents, they made sure they and his sisters were fed, clothed, and safe. They made it to college and became successful in their careers, but they forgot to be honest with each other when it came to their feelings for each other.
June 27, 2025
Great story!!
This is the first book in a new series and this is James and Marie's story.
This is a well written story which has found family, friendships, emotions, humour, challenges, manipulation, secrets, making choices, undeniable chemistry, heartbreak, twists, and love which all leads to an entertaining, and heartwarming addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
This is the first book in a new series and this is James and Marie's story.
This is a well written story which has found family, friendships, emotions, humour, challenges, manipulation, secrets, making choices, undeniable chemistry, heartbreak, twists, and love which all leads to an entertaining, and heartwarming addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
November 3, 2025
the final words of the book being “so when are you ready for me?” did he not just have a vasectomy
June 13, 2025
Break
This is about best friends cohabitating to bring up his sisters after being abandoned by their parents. They secretly love each other. They ignore their feelings while being surrogate parents. One drunken night changes everything.
But the way James was portrayed made him totally unlikeable. If he had stepped up when he was told the truth maybe his character would have been forgiven. There is a HEA he didnt deserve.
This is about best friends cohabitating to bring up his sisters after being abandoned by their parents. They secretly love each other. They ignore their feelings while being surrogate parents. One drunken night changes everything.
But the way James was portrayed made him totally unlikeable. If he had stepped up when he was told the truth maybe his character would have been forgiven. There is a HEA he didnt deserve.
June 6, 2025
Wanted to punch James most of this book. The twins made up for his stupidity!
June 9, 2025
This was a quick angst read. Marie was such a strong presence in this book and I loved her relationship with Alyssa and Charlotte. She was firm in removing herself from her relationship from James. However for two “mature” people, their communication read as if they were young teens. It felt very immature for Marie to completely ghost him. It also bothered me how quickly she forgave his behavior at the end. I feel like they never really did the work and it felt a very surface level sense of love.
February 1, 2025
1,5 🌟
🏈Break - Minnesota Mavericks Book 01 by A. B. Marie💔 (available on Kindle Unlimited)
My rec today might fit in the "rage read" category for some, seing that the MMC is the kind that is blind to the OW’s true nature and keeps neglecting everyone that he's supposed to love, care and prioritize for her.
💫Light Spoilers:💫
FMC and MMC grew up in trailer parks with neglectful parents and have always lean on each other. MMC's parents 💀 shortly after he won a sports scholarship in another town and left two little girls - his 8 years old twin sister's - on his care. So FMC left everything behind to go with him and help take care of the girls.
They lived together for 8 years, while he was studying she was with his sisters. Once his hockey career took off, their life's got better and he even paid for FMC's college.
Being two oblivious idiots, they've been pining for each other other since they were teenagers but think that the other will never want anything more than friendship.
One night after a friend's engagement party, they had smex while drunk and he didn't remember anything after.
About 1 month later, she discovered that she was pregnant on the same day when he went to the clinic where she works, introduced her to his new girlfriend and asked to make STDs tests, so he could have smex without c0ndoms with his girlfriend since she was allergic to latex.
Before they - MMC and OW left -, he dropped the bomb that his girlfriend would be moving in with them. FMC sees this as a sign to keep the pregnancy for herself, since MMC always said that he didn't want childrens and was head deep his new relationship.
After that their relationship goes downhill. She never came back home, stayed in a hotel for a few days, rented a house and move out of MMC's house without a word to him.
The twins - MMC's sisters -, essentially moved in with her short after, since the OW is as nasty b!tch and openly show that she doesn't want them around.
MMC kept prioritizing the OW - for the dumbest reasons -, gradually losing his friends, bff (FMC) and sisters respect and affection.
💫Full Spoilers:💫
He discovers FMC pregnancy through a Facebook post and is devastated bcs everyone is sharing this with her but not him.
He begs her to see him, she relents and after that they start to mend they're friendship.
MMC stays with OW until 70% of the book - more or less - and their break up is a sh!t show.
After selling his house, he moves in with FMC and the twins, even accepting to sleep on the couch so he can be near them.
One day after he's back from a game, FMC offers her bed for him to have some proper sleep and he asked her to come with him.
Some massages and a proposal to help each other relieve some smexual tension, they do the did and he goes all cave man on her saying something along the lines that now that he had a taste, she'll be only his and won't ler her go.
Shortly after this, FMC feels guilty about him not knowing that the babies are his so she tells him before they're born.
He acts like the jerk he is, leaves home saying that he'll be back once he cools off and ghosted her for months.
After the babies birth, he shows up in the hospital, gave her some lame excuses, said that he's doing therapy blah, blah... She accepts his excuses, everything is fine.
They have their HEA.
It was an entertaining rage read for me and despite the premise being interesting, I don't think it was well executed.
✨As always, I'm open for similar recs if you have some to share.✨
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L6HPWGD
🏈Break - Minnesota Mavericks Book 01 by A. B. Marie💔 (available on Kindle Unlimited)
My rec today might fit in the "rage read" category for some, seing that the MMC is the kind that is blind to the OW’s true nature and keeps neglecting everyone that he's supposed to love, care and prioritize for her.
💫Light Spoilers:💫
FMC and MMC grew up in trailer parks with neglectful parents and have always lean on each other. MMC's parents 💀 shortly after he won a sports scholarship in another town and left two little girls - his 8 years old twin sister's - on his care. So FMC left everything behind to go with him and help take care of the girls.
They lived together for 8 years, while he was studying she was with his sisters. Once his hockey career took off, their life's got better and he even paid for FMC's college.
Being two oblivious idiots, they've been pining for each other other since they were teenagers but think that the other will never want anything more than friendship.
One night after a friend's engagement party, they had smex while drunk and he didn't remember anything after.
About 1 month later, she discovered that she was pregnant on the same day when he went to the clinic where she works, introduced her to his new girlfriend and asked to make STDs tests, so he could have smex without c0ndoms with his girlfriend since she was allergic to latex.
Before they - MMC and OW left -, he dropped the bomb that his girlfriend would be moving in with them. FMC sees this as a sign to keep the pregnancy for herself, since MMC always said that he didn't want childrens and was head deep his new relationship.
After that their relationship goes downhill. She never came back home, stayed in a hotel for a few days, rented a house and move out of MMC's house without a word to him.
The twins - MMC's sisters -, essentially moved in with her short after, since the OW is as nasty b!tch and openly show that she doesn't want them around.
MMC kept prioritizing the OW - for the dumbest reasons -, gradually losing his friends, bff (FMC) and sisters respect and affection.
💫Full Spoilers:💫
He discovers FMC pregnancy through a Facebook post and is devastated bcs everyone is sharing this with her but not him.
He begs her to see him, she relents and after that they start to mend they're friendship.
MMC stays with OW until 70% of the book - more or less - and their break up is a sh!t show.
After selling his house, he moves in with FMC and the twins, even accepting to sleep on the couch so he can be near them.
One day after he's back from a game, FMC offers her bed for him to have some proper sleep and he asked her to come with him.
Some massages and a proposal to help each other relieve some smexual tension, they do the did and he goes all cave man on her saying something along the lines that now that he had a taste, she'll be only his and won't ler her go.
Shortly after this, FMC feels guilty about him not knowing that the babies are his so she tells him before they're born.
He acts like the jerk he is, leaves home saying that he'll be back once he cools off and ghosted her for months.
After the babies birth, he shows up in the hospital, gave her some lame excuses, said that he's doing therapy blah, blah... She accepts his excuses, everything is fine.
They have their HEA.
It was an entertaining rage read for me and despite the premise being interesting, I don't think it was well executed.
✨As always, I'm open for similar recs if you have some to share.✨
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L6HPWGD
May 18, 2025
odd ending
Last line in the book makes no sense. He can’t have any more children. So an odd way to end the book.
Last line in the book makes no sense. He can’t have any more children. So an odd way to end the book.
March 16, 2024
2.75✨’s
I like the premise, but the execution left room for growth. Something about the writing didn’t give depth to the characters-I could insinuate, but the writing didn’t evoke emotional reactions. Some aspects went too long and others not long enough. I would try a later book by this author with the hope that the writing develops to evoke gut-punch emotional reactions through angsty situations.
I like the premise, but the execution left room for growth. Something about the writing didn’t give depth to the characters-I could insinuate, but the writing didn’t evoke emotional reactions. Some aspects went too long and others not long enough. I would try a later book by this author with the hope that the writing develops to evoke gut-punch emotional reactions through angsty situations.
July 1, 2022
cute
Story is cute but there were so many grammatical errors. (Ex: “He’s is always there”…”Mine mind was made up”… used the word women instead of woman…etc). There were more errors a few chapters toward the end as if the author just wanted to finish the book and they didn’t have a chance to edit anything.
Story is cute but there were so many grammatical errors. (Ex: “He’s is always there”…”Mine mind was made up”… used the word women instead of woman…etc). There were more errors a few chapters toward the end as if the author just wanted to finish the book and they didn’t have a chance to edit anything.
September 18, 2025
This review says it all: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
So many inconsistencies, and there were a couple of times where the author mentioned something, went on to a new topic, then circled back, and I was so confused and had to keep re-reading to understand what was going on. For example, at one point Marie's OB/GYN, who is magically the son of the ppl she rents from and a new bestie, is at her house along with his parents, guys from the hockey team that are friends of both MCs and some of whom have slept with/dated Marie. James has never heard of him or met him and thinks they might be together. So Benton (OB/GYN) goes into the kitchen, asks if anyone wants a drink. We skip to James thinking is he a good man? Then the next sentence is everyone said no. I was like wait he's not a good man?! Then, after re-reading at least 5 times, I realized everyone said no was everyone responding to Benton asking if anyone wanted a drink. The timeline was all over the place. Time jumps with nothing denoting a jump, just context clues. I never knew what day it was supposed to be. There was supposed to be a dinner with James and the girls on a Saturday, and a dinner with Benton and his parents on Sunday, but then it seemed like Benton was with her on Saturday and asking the girls what they wanted to do that weekend.
And I don't think the author knows anything about hockey. Hockey is the sport I know the least about. The rules and whatever confuse me, but I'm pretty certain that they don't practice all out and throw each other into the boards hard enough to cause lumps or bruising, etc. Why would they do that and risk injury before games?! Also, why would James be throwing Nolan into the boards when Nolan is the goalie? Goalies don't usually leave the net, and how would he get a lump on his face when goalies wear helmets and face masks?
This book badly needed an editor. It read like a first draft where someone needed to go back and review for timelines and grammatical issues, etc. And nothing really happened. We never saw any build up of a relationship between Marie and James. We're told they were BFFs since they were babies and raised the twins together. We're also told about their night together, but we never see it, well I guess we get a bit of it when Marie tells James, but I dunno. I never felt any grand passion or anything at all between Marie and James, and then suddenly he's like pregnant women are always horny right? Wanna sleep with me? Also, no one else is allowed to touch you now because you're mine. And Marie had loved him forever and never knew that he had feelings for her. He randomly tells us way late in the book that he's always had a thing for her. But all of a sudden Marie figured it out and asked how long he'd had feelings for her? This whole book was about Marie having her own life, dealing with her pregnancy and the twins, and James having his head so far up his butt about his pathetic lying gf. They didn't get together til almost 90%, then when he found out the babies were his, he disappeared for months, but it was just to go to therapy to be the man she needs. Also, I'm not sure she had months left when he disappeared, but again, timeline inconsistencies.
So many inconsistencies, and there were a couple of times where the author mentioned something, went on to a new topic, then circled back, and I was so confused and had to keep re-reading to understand what was going on. For example, at one point Marie's OB/GYN, who is magically the son of the ppl she rents from and a new bestie, is at her house along with his parents, guys from the hockey team that are friends of both MCs and some of whom have slept with/dated Marie. James has never heard of him or met him and thinks they might be together. So Benton (OB/GYN) goes into the kitchen, asks if anyone wants a drink. We skip to James thinking is he a good man? Then the next sentence is everyone said no. I was like wait he's not a good man?! Then, after re-reading at least 5 times, I realized everyone said no was everyone responding to Benton asking if anyone wanted a drink. The timeline was all over the place. Time jumps with nothing denoting a jump, just context clues. I never knew what day it was supposed to be. There was supposed to be a dinner with James and the girls on a Saturday, and a dinner with Benton and his parents on Sunday, but then it seemed like Benton was with her on Saturday and asking the girls what they wanted to do that weekend.
And I don't think the author knows anything about hockey. Hockey is the sport I know the least about. The rules and whatever confuse me, but I'm pretty certain that they don't practice all out and throw each other into the boards hard enough to cause lumps or bruising, etc. Why would they do that and risk injury before games?! Also, why would James be throwing Nolan into the boards when Nolan is the goalie? Goalies don't usually leave the net, and how would he get a lump on his face when goalies wear helmets and face masks?
This book badly needed an editor. It read like a first draft where someone needed to go back and review for timelines and grammatical issues, etc. And nothing really happened. We never saw any build up of a relationship between Marie and James. We're told they were BFFs since they were babies and raised the twins together. We're also told about their night together, but we never see it, well I guess we get a bit of it when Marie tells James, but I dunno. I never felt any grand passion or anything at all between Marie and James, and then suddenly he's like pregnant women are always horny right? Wanna sleep with me? Also, no one else is allowed to touch you now because you're mine. And Marie had loved him forever and never knew that he had feelings for her. He randomly tells us way late in the book that he's always had a thing for her. But all of a sudden Marie figured it out and asked how long he'd had feelings for her? This whole book was about Marie having her own life, dealing with her pregnancy and the twins, and James having his head so far up his butt about his pathetic lying gf. They didn't get together til almost 90%, then when he found out the babies were his, he disappeared for months, but it was just to go to therapy to be the man she needs. Also, I'm not sure she had months left when he disappeared, but again, timeline inconsistencies.
July 1, 2025
Marie and James have been BFF since childhood. They both had shitty parents. James was parentified from a young age to raise his twin siblings. Then his parents died. When he went to university on a hockey scholarship, Marie went with him to help him raise the siblings.
He is now a professional hockey player. She is a physician's assistant. She does sports medicine for his hockey team, so they see each other all the time at work and home.
She arranged her life around his because she's been in love with him the whole time. He gives no sign of any romantic feelings. They both date other people, or hook up with other people, whatever.
They have one drunken fuck that he doesn't remember, and now she's pregnant. She knows he doesn't want kids because he was already parentified. So she doesn't tell him.
She goes into an exam room (at her job), and there's James with a woman she's never seen before, saying this is his girlfriend (Alex). He tells Marie he's here for STD tests because Alex doesn't want to use condoms. While he goes to the toilet to give his urine sample, Alex says some mean girl shit like, "I'm moving in with James, don't think you can have him." Whatever.
After that outburst, Marie decides if Alex is moving in, she is moving out. Marie's employer is opening a second location of his clinic, so she'll switch to the new location once it opens. She also moves into a new house near the new clinic. She buys the world's biggest house, 5 beds, 6 baths. This is when I knew this story was going to be absolutely ridiculous.
She doesn't tell James she's moving out, she just moves and ghosts him, so they won't see each other anymore. Just at work until the new clinic opens, the least amount possible.
She tells his siblings Alyssa and Caroline (16 year old twins) where she is, so they can still go see her. They end up spending most of their time there because James is gone a lot with away games anyway. They basically end up moving in with Marie.
James only dated Alex for a few months, and his reasons for moving her into his house are kind of wishy-washy. It's just easier to date when you don't have to make plans to meet up all the time, because you're already living together? And something about wanting her to live in his gated community so she was safe while staying in Minnesota. (Like, I don't think she's going to get murdered in Minnesota of all places.) Marie, Alyssa, and Caroline can see it doesn't make a lot of sense, but James doesn't see it.
One day, Alex starts talking about how James will change his mind about not wanting kids one day, etc. But he thinks she doesn't have a motive to baby trap him because she's already rich from a rich family, so he never worries about it.
James and Marie end up talking once. He says he thought they would all live together with their significant others until they were old and grey, and that Marie didn't have to move out. She's like, WTF? I'm not living with Alex, she's a mean girl, and she doesn't even like the siblings, and moving her into your house makes no sense anyway, because you barely know her.
It turns out James always did like Marie, but never acted on it because he didn't think she was interested, and most importantly because he needed someone to be the girls' nanny/housekeeper, and if a relationship didn't work out, Marie would leave them.
Life continues on for a while with James living alone a lot of the time, because now the only one living in his house is Alex, and she travels for business.
Marie finds out she's having twins.
M&J have no more contact after that one conversation. Until one day she and the girls agree to have dinner with James and Alex. All they do is argue about why Marie and the girls moved out. The girls pack up the rest of their stuff and bring it to Marie's new house.
Marie is still friends with a couple of guys on James' team, and they figure out she's pregnant, but she somehow convinces them not to tell James. I DNF at that point.
He is now a professional hockey player. She is a physician's assistant. She does sports medicine for his hockey team, so they see each other all the time at work and home.
She arranged her life around his because she's been in love with him the whole time. He gives no sign of any romantic feelings. They both date other people, or hook up with other people, whatever.
They have one drunken fuck that he doesn't remember, and now she's pregnant. She knows he doesn't want kids because he was already parentified. So she doesn't tell him.
She goes into an exam room (at her job), and there's James with a woman she's never seen before, saying this is his girlfriend (Alex). He tells Marie he's here for STD tests because Alex doesn't want to use condoms. While he goes to the toilet to give his urine sample, Alex says some mean girl shit like, "I'm moving in with James, don't think you can have him." Whatever.
After that outburst, Marie decides if Alex is moving in, she is moving out. Marie's employer is opening a second location of his clinic, so she'll switch to the new location once it opens. She also moves into a new house near the new clinic. She buys the world's biggest house, 5 beds, 6 baths. This is when I knew this story was going to be absolutely ridiculous.
She doesn't tell James she's moving out, she just moves and ghosts him, so they won't see each other anymore. Just at work until the new clinic opens, the least amount possible.
She tells his siblings Alyssa and Caroline (16 year old twins) where she is, so they can still go see her. They end up spending most of their time there because James is gone a lot with away games anyway. They basically end up moving in with Marie.
James only dated Alex for a few months, and his reasons for moving her into his house are kind of wishy-washy. It's just easier to date when you don't have to make plans to meet up all the time, because you're already living together? And something about wanting her to live in his gated community so she was safe while staying in Minnesota. (Like, I don't think she's going to get murdered in Minnesota of all places.) Marie, Alyssa, and Caroline can see it doesn't make a lot of sense, but James doesn't see it.
One day, Alex starts talking about how James will change his mind about not wanting kids one day, etc. But he thinks she doesn't have a motive to baby trap him because she's already rich from a rich family, so he never worries about it.
James and Marie end up talking once. He says he thought they would all live together with their significant others until they were old and grey, and that Marie didn't have to move out. She's like, WTF? I'm not living with Alex, she's a mean girl, and she doesn't even like the siblings, and moving her into your house makes no sense anyway, because you barely know her.
It turns out James always did like Marie, but never acted on it because he didn't think she was interested, and most importantly because he needed someone to be the girls' nanny/housekeeper, and if a relationship didn't work out, Marie would leave them.
Life continues on for a while with James living alone a lot of the time, because now the only one living in his house is Alex, and she travels for business.
Marie finds out she's having twins.
M&J have no more contact after that one conversation. Until one day she and the girls agree to have dinner with James and Alex. All they do is argue about why Marie and the girls moved out. The girls pack up the rest of their stuff and bring it to Marie's new house.
Marie is still friends with a couple of guys on James' team, and they figure out she's pregnant, but she somehow convinces them not to tell James. I DNF at that point.
November 3, 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Triggers:
🚩Violence
🚩Mention of Drug Use
🚩Mention of Absentee Parents
🚩Assault
Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕Best Friends to Lovers
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕OW Drama
💕Single Parent
💕Hockey Romance
💕Sports Romance
💕 Grovel to HEA
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Summary:
FMC and MMC have known each other since childhood. They were both raised by absentee parents. At some point they come together to create their own family and raise the MMCs younger siblings. One night the FMC and MMC get drunk and have a one-night stand. The MMC does not remember this.
The MMC surprises his family with a new woman. He moves her in which results in the near destruction of the family he and the FMC has created. Also, unknown to the MMC his one-night stand with the FMC has led to her pregnancy. This is a story of what happens when you nearly loose everyone you love and how you find your way back.
Review:
I had heard of this book for some time now. I wasn't sure if it would be something I would enjoy. I now say---I enjoyed it. The MMC was an idiot, and I am sure that the only reason he had come to this far in life was the FMC. The FMC was strong and stood on business. She saved his siblings and created yet another family. The entire time the MMC was acting like an idiot she was still trying to save him.
The author takes you on a ride with this story. You will want to smack the MMC upside the head---he is an idiot. You will applaud the FMC and the siblings. If you are looking for a lot of grovel this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a family love story---this may be the book for you.
*****************************************************************************
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https://www.instagram.com/bibliodarling/
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Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Triggers:
🚩Violence
🚩Mention of Drug Use
🚩Mention of Absentee Parents
🚩Assault
Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕Best Friends to Lovers
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕OW Drama
💕Single Parent
💕Hockey Romance
💕Sports Romance
💕 Grovel to HEA
Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Summary:
FMC and MMC have known each other since childhood. They were both raised by absentee parents. At some point they come together to create their own family and raise the MMCs younger siblings. One night the FMC and MMC get drunk and have a one-night stand. The MMC does not remember this.
The MMC surprises his family with a new woman. He moves her in which results in the near destruction of the family he and the FMC has created. Also, unknown to the MMC his one-night stand with the FMC has led to her pregnancy. This is a story of what happens when you nearly loose everyone you love and how you find your way back.
Review:
I had heard of this book for some time now. I wasn't sure if it would be something I would enjoy. I now say---I enjoyed it. The MMC was an idiot, and I am sure that the only reason he had come to this far in life was the FMC. The FMC was strong and stood on business. She saved his siblings and created yet another family. The entire time the MMC was acting like an idiot she was still trying to save him.
The author takes you on a ride with this story. You will want to smack the MMC upside the head---he is an idiot. You will applaud the FMC and the siblings. If you are looking for a lot of grovel this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a family love story---this may be the book for you.
*****************************************************************************
FOLLOW ME ON:
INSTAGRAM📢
https://www.instagram.com/bibliodarling/
SUBSTACK📢 https://open.substack.com/pub/mterron...
TIKTOK📢
https://www.tiktok.com/@bibliodarling...
JOIN MY VIRTUAL BOOKCLUB: BOUNDLESS WOMEN BOUNDLESS BOOKS (GOODREADS GROUP)
November 3, 2025
Friends to lovers
This review is spoiler full lol. Ok, I wanna say that I really like Marie. I love that right from the start, she left the house and everything. The only thing I have for her is that she got into a relationship with Jake too quickly. I get that she had some fault in their situation, and I was cheering her on when she kept ignoring him and not letting him know her new address, but it also felt like she got with him too soon after he broke up with the gf. We got told that he was with her but we didn't "see" them spend time and mend things before getting physical again. They spent more time apart and angry at each other than together.
One other petty thing that struck me with this book was... There was so much winking. I know there probably isn't that many, but at one point I could've sworn that there probably has been at least 1 wink per chapter. And one chapter has at least 3 characters wink. Ik ik it's not that serious but it's a pet peeve of mine, I'm sorry 😭 This book was going to be 4 stars fo me, if not for the rushed resolution and the dang winking (ik it's petty, I'm sorry)
This review is spoiler full lol. Ok, I wanna say that I really like Marie. I love that right from the start, she left the house and everything. The only thing I have for her is that she got into a relationship with Jake too quickly. I get that she had some fault in their situation, and I was cheering her on when she kept ignoring him and not letting him know her new address, but it also felt like she got with him too soon after he broke up with the gf. We got told that he was with her but we didn't "see" them spend time and mend things before getting physical again. They spent more time apart and angry at each other than together.
One other petty thing that struck me with this book was... There was so much winking. I know there probably isn't that many, but at one point I could've sworn that there probably has been at least 1 wink per chapter. And one chapter has at least 3 characters wink. Ik ik it's not that serious but it's a pet peeve of mine, I'm sorry 😭 This book was going to be 4 stars fo me, if not for the rushed resolution and the dang winking (ik it's petty, I'm sorry)
January 20, 2025
Sweet!
I really liked this one. First time reading from this author and I am so grateful to Facebook book ads for the teaser. What I'm not grateful for is the fact that a pay per chapter site has this book because I'm unsure as to whether it's been stolen work or if the author authorized it. I mean if the author did then more power to ya!
Awesome, realistic and relatable story. The characters were so on point I could feel the relationship, friendships and situations down to my bones. Marie is a fricken goddess and man do I want to be her. James was an amazing character, warm and so good! Didn't like Alex at all, but can totally understand that there could be people in the world like that. Nolan and Landon are such beautiful characters and I loved reading every bit of their deep devoted friendship with Marie.
This is definitely one of the best sports stories I've read in a while.
I really liked this one. First time reading from this author and I am so grateful to Facebook book ads for the teaser. What I'm not grateful for is the fact that a pay per chapter site has this book because I'm unsure as to whether it's been stolen work or if the author authorized it. I mean if the author did then more power to ya!
Awesome, realistic and relatable story. The characters were so on point I could feel the relationship, friendships and situations down to my bones. Marie is a fricken goddess and man do I want to be her. James was an amazing character, warm and so good! Didn't like Alex at all, but can totally understand that there could be people in the world like that. Nolan and Landon are such beautiful characters and I loved reading every bit of their deep devoted friendship with Marie.
This is definitely one of the best sports stories I've read in a while.
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