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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Plot Rating: ๐๐๐๐๐
Character Rating: ๐ฉบ๐ฉบ๐ฉบ๐ฉบ๐ฉบ
Spice Rating:๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Emotions: ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅฐ๐ค๐ฅต๐ซถโฅ๏ธ
POV: Dual
Narration: ๐ง๐ง๐ง๐ง๐ง
Narration Type: Duet style.
โจTropesโจ
๐น Enemies to Lovers
๐นMarriage of Convenience
๐นGrumpy x Sunshine dynamic
๐นSports Romance
๐นForced Proximity
๐นCo-living situations
Quick synopsis: Georgia Greene is the team physician (and athlete recovery specialist) for the Vancouver Storm hockey team. Alexei Volkov is the teamโs enforcer โ tough, guarded, and notorious for his gruff manner. The two had a rocky first meeting and have clashed since. Each of them faces a crisis that requires a drastic solution. In order to solve their respective problems, they agree to a fake marriage. As they live under this arrangement, layers peel back: they see sides of each other that challenge their initial judgments.
โจHeroโจ<b>36YO Alexei Volkov</b> needs help with his Canadian citizenship status, which is tied to his ability to stay in Canada (especially as his hockey career faces uncertainty). He thinks Georgia is stuck up and shallow but when she also has a issue that can be solved by marriage they agree to help each other. But as he learns more about Georgia, he finds himself enamoured by her.
๐ Alexei is the hottest man on the planet ๐ซ โฅ๏ธ๐คญ He was just so hot thereโs no other words for it ๐ฅต The narrator really brought him to life! Alexei was so respectful yet playful with Georgia. I loved how well they went together. His dirty talk lowkey made this five stars ๐
โจHeroineโจ <b>32YO Georgia Greene</b> must marry to unlock her inheritance, which she intends to use to fund her athlete recovery / health program that is about to get cut. She has never liked Alexei their first sour interaction. But as they are forced to spend more time with each other under this charade, Georgia sees a different side to him. And she likes what she finds.
๐ Georgia was strong-willed and I love that ๐ She didnโt take any crap and she knew what she stood for and who she was. I loved her letting her walls down and letting Alexei in.
๐๐<i>Nicknames</i>๐๐
๐ฅHellfire
What I thought: <i>I loved Alexei and Georgiaโs story! I fell in love with the characters and their story. It just hit ๐คฉโจ๐ฅฐ</i>
I love when the marriage of convenience trope is done right and this was a fine example of it ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅต๐๐ซ
It was cute seeing them go from hating each other for incorrect reasons to learning to support one another and build a relationship together. They truly felt like a team at the end and I love that. It wasnโt anything original or groundbreaking, but it made me happy whenever I listen to it. And Iโd like to reread it at some point.
The narration was amazing. JF Harding did a fantastic job ๐คญ๐ฆ๐๐
โจFavourite scenesโจ
๐ฐThem playing the newlyweds game at the party and their kiss ๐
๐ฐAlexei getting pissed about her boyfriend and finding out heโs a bunny ๐
๐ฐThem sharing the bed on the road and her cuddling him ๐ฅฐ๐คฃ
๐ฐThem kissing outside the airport
๐ฐAlexei bidding on her at the hospital gala
๐ฐGeorgia comforting him during the awards dinner
๐ฐOmg him making her orgasm again and again until she admitted it ๐ซถ๐ฅต๐ซ
๐ฐAlexei helping her coach the girls again
๐ฐHim finding out she sleepwalks when he gets injured
๐ฐAlexei taking her bed away
๐ฐAlexei driving home to spend Christmas with her
โจWhat I likedโจ
๐ฎHockey aspect
๐ฎThe characters
๐ฎThe marriage of convenience plot
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
๐๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
๐งแชแแดT แแฉแแแฉTIOแ:
๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด & ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฎ ๐๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
แฏแผแฉT TO แดแญแญแดแT:
๐๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ
๐๐๐ง๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ ๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐
๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐
โจ๐ฏ๐ฝโด๐๐๐ฝ๐๐โจ
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ Georgia Green and NHL player Alexei Volkov seriously cannot stand each other. Their hatred is rooted in misunderstandings and assumptions. Despite their animosity, they find themselves in a situation where they need each other's help. They enter a marriage of convenience, hoping not to throttle each other before their time is up... impossible!
๐๐ they navigate their fake relationship, their banter escalates into something more heated and charged. Their hate begins to feel like foreplay and I am so here for it - yes, please and thank you!
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ two seem to bring out the worst in each other, yet they are unable to deny the intense attraction simmering between them. The audio version was so good. ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด and ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฎ ๐๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ'๐ duet narration truly brought the story to the next level!
๐๐ผ๐ฟ fans of enemies-to-lovers and marriage of convenience tropes, this audiobook "๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ" is a great listen.
๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐: ๐ฐ.๐ฎ๐ฑโญ๏ธ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ฑ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น: ๐ฏ.๐ฑ/๐ฑ๐ถ๏ธ
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Long boring convoluted attempts to repackage external and internalized misogyny into a "romance". With a lot of obligatory sex scenes, which, given the derogatory tilt of the internal monologue that preceded then, I wasn't even going to try reading โ the context around them was already too icky for me. I am guessing this book is written for people for whom that's a kink, so I am not the target audience here.
I finished the book trying to figure out the reason for the high rating, but my ultimate conclusion is that this author is not for me and I should have abandoned this nonsense less than 10% in:
Aside from fundamental conceptual flaws, the writing is full of self-contradicting telling (not showing), complete with unnecessary info-dumpy exposition. The characters' thoughts "explaining" their behavior paint them as delusional emotionally stunted idiots. Which, unfortunately, echoes the worst stereotypes to the point of feeling offensive to me.
I finished the book trying to figure out the reason for the high rating, but my ultimate conclusion is that this author is not for me and I should have abandoned this nonsense less than 10% in:
Aside from fundamental conceptual flaws, the writing is full of self-contradicting telling (not showing), complete with unnecessary info-dumpy exposition. The characters' thoughts "explaining" their behavior paint them as delusional emotionally stunted idiots. Which, unfortunately, echoes the worst stereotypes to the point of feeling offensive to me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Was so excited for this one and wasn't disappointed: hate f*cking in a library will always be top-tier for me, and I love how the characters softened for each other. 4.5 rounded down because it ended just like every other Vancouver Storm book, which includes a tongue in someone's @ss. Not here to yuck your yum, but as a microbiologist, I can't condone that from a public health perspective.
Thank you to Stephanie and her team for this ALC!!
this was a masterpiece! stephanie archer never fails to provide real loverboys and badass women I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!
this was one of THE best enemies to lovers iโve read in contemporary romance in a long while - and the fact that itโs a marriage of convenience too? CHEFS KISS!!!
i love their banter and bickering so much - i was truly so intrigued to see how these two were going to go from hating each other to โoh! this personโs my soulmate!!โ but stephanie did it in such a beautiful way that made so much sense for who these characters are and what theyโve been through.
i love alexei and georgia both sooo much, and getting to learn more about them and to see their families was one of my favourite parts of this book.
audiobook duet narration SLAYED as always, a 10/10 story; everybody go read Gloves Off NOWWWW!!!
this was a masterpiece! stephanie archer never fails to provide real loverboys and badass women I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!
this was one of THE best enemies to lovers iโve read in contemporary romance in a long while - and the fact that itโs a marriage of convenience too? CHEFS KISS!!!
i love their banter and bickering so much - i was truly so intrigued to see how these two were going to go from hating each other to โoh! this personโs my soulmate!!โ but stephanie did it in such a beautiful way that made so much sense for who these characters are and what theyโve been through.
i love alexei and georgia both sooo much, and getting to learn more about them and to see their families was one of my favourite parts of this book.
audiobook duet narration SLAYED as always, a 10/10 story; everybody go read Gloves Off NOWWWW!!!
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes