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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Seraphina never anticipated having to transfer schools and move in with her brother and his teammates but when your mom is diagnosed with cancer you make sacrifices. But she didn’t know one of her new roommates would be the guy she had an unspeakable hot hook up with at a club months ago. You know the one you replay in your mind over and over again. The one you can’t seem to forget. The only problem is this particular guy is strictly off limits.
Her brother is very protective and she doesn’t want to get in the way of their team dynamics especially with so much on the line. So they agree to be friends only. But with insane chemistry and forced proximity it’s only a matter of time before that proves to be famous last words.
I regrettably have to admit that Chase Carter is no longer my number one hockey book boyfriend because Tyler has soundly dethroned him. This grumpy, introverted ambitious goalie stole my heart. He was possessive and jealous without being over the top. He let her love her life but was willing to throw hands for her at a second if needed. She didn’t need rescuing but he was there the second she might. The swoon was real.
And I related so hard to Sera. It’s impossible to find the words to describe the absolute helplessness that you feel with a family member’s cancer diagnosis but then to have to worry that you may be looking at your own future while you’re still barely figuring out who you are as a person is daunting and enough to overwhelm anyone. I think Avery handled this sensitive topic so well and as someone with a personal experience with this situation I found myself shedding a few tears along the way.
This book touched on some deep topics while also still giving us the hockey goodness, the swoony moments and the hot as heck steam. This is easily a new favorite book and a top read of 2023. I can’t wait for the audio to come out so I can experience this book all over again.
Thanks so much to Avery for providing me with an early copy to review!
Rating:
emotional
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
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute read! Liked it way more than the first book. But I could have done without the cancer plot. Also, what’s up with the author and the pregnancies in the epilogue? Kinda extreme (and I’m a mom lol)
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Solid 4/5. Wayyyy better than the first. I think she made their connection well but the only downside is the author didn’t really stick with some plots or themes, such as us finding out if Tyler got drafted or not, or if Chase (her brother) also has the cancer gene. They also don’t really get into too many problems with the moms cancer. Also Chase finding out was underwhelming bc even tho he was so mad he changed his mind like a 180 with no explanation. Author also tried to make Seraphina not knowing what major to select a big thing but then never said what she ended up doing. I also think some of their texts were cringey or too out there raunchy too soon. I think the theme of them playing a continuous 21 questions is so cute when his 1162 question is asking her to marry him. I also wish the author made a flashback scene of them hooking up that first ever Halloween night, but maybe that’s in the first book I never finished. I overall loved his comfort and attitude around her, you could really tell they were each others safe place. He is pretty much an ideal boyfriend.
Spoiler Summary:
Chase’s (from book 1) sister Seraphina moves in with him and his two roommates after they discover their moms cancer is getting bad. As she moves in, she realizes his roommate/hockey team goalie is the guy she had a one night stand with on Halloween “Hades”. He recognizes her as “Tink” and they try to be friends but have undeniable tension and care for one another. They start a game of 21 questions that just never seem to end. They decide to be “friends with benefits” and sneak around the house together. They end up catching feels and support one another. Tyler’s crisis is him potentially not being drafted for the New York team. And Sera’s is the fact that she has a really shitty friend, her mom is sick, she doesn’t know what major she wants, and she may carry a cancer gene. When Sera gets harassed by her “friends” Pervy older brother she lost her virginity to, Tyler beats him up and this exposes their relationship to Chase. Chase is so pissed but they’re lowkey just happy they don’t have to hide anymore. When Tyler finds out he may not get drafted by the team he wants he gets all sad, and it’s at the same time Sera gets the news that she’s positive with the cancer gene and will prob get it in her late 30’s. This causes her to go into shock and he comes home and comforts her and tries not to freak that she is basically numb and he doesn’t know why. Throughout the book they’ve evidently been each others comfort place. He says he’ll stick by her no matter what and it ends with her being pregnant at 23 (she needs to have kids young due to the potential cancer) and he bought them a house and proposes by using one of their “questions”.
Notable moments:
Hahaha orgasm hockey joke “One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was giving her a hat trick on the edge of a sink”
Stopped having sex after their one night stand cuz it was so good LOL: “My encounter with Seraphina at XS was top fucking tier—and it demolished my interest in anyone else after”
Why are they listen to her smutty audiobook in the car; “Edging via audiobook. That’s a new one.”
He goes to pick her up from a party when she got high and got scared. He bribed the door man a lot of money
He takes off her heels for her
“You like me,” she says in a singsong voice.
Obviously. But what can I do about that? Sweet fuck all, that’s what.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Her mouth tugs into a grin. “Because you like me.”
“Yeah, Ser. I do.”
They have sex for the first time again in the announcer box at the hockey arena after hours
He made her borrow his beanie to keep her warm: ““I hope you know I’m keeping this,” she says, smoothing her hair.
“I was hoping you would.”
BAH “Chase steals a glance at me, still shooting. “Hey, man.”
Guilt sparks in the back of my mind. It’s a little hard to look him in the face knowing I’m about to go jerk off to his sister.”
“Like a creep, I snag Sera’s bottle of shampoo off the shelf and sniff it while the water heats up. The tropical scent invades my nostrils, and my cock stirs impatiently. God help me, I’ll never be able to smell coconut without getting turned on again.”
He buys her a pink coffee maker since she can only have decaf bc of her meds and he doesn’t want the other roommates accidentally throwing out her batch again
Their texts are half cringey
“A soft knock draws my attention, and I pause the video, glancing up. “Yeah?”
“Can I come in?” Seraphina opens the door partway, peeking inside.
I don’t hesitate. “Always.”
“Wear whatever you want, Tink. I know how to fight.”
“When I picture the rest of my life five years down the line, I can’t help but insert her in it. My brain does it automatically. She’s everywhere.”
“Because my worst fear isn’t what I thought it was.
It has nothing to do with hockey at all.
It’s losing her.”
He makes her his background in his phone before they even start officially dating
When she finds out the test of her having cancer later in life is positive, she goes into shock and he finds her sitting in the overfilled tub filled with freezing water and he calmly tries to clothe and warm her. She tells him the test is positive and he thinks she means pregnancy and he starts saying he’s not going anywhere
Spoiler Summary:
Chase’s (from book 1) sister Seraphina moves in with him and his two roommates after they discover their moms cancer is getting bad. As she moves in, she realizes his roommate/hockey team goalie is the guy she had a one night stand with on Halloween “Hades”. He recognizes her as “Tink” and they try to be friends but have undeniable tension and care for one another. They start a game of 21 questions that just never seem to end. They decide to be “friends with benefits” and sneak around the house together. They end up catching feels and support one another. Tyler’s crisis is him potentially not being drafted for the New York team. And Sera’s is the fact that she has a really shitty friend, her mom is sick, she doesn’t know what major she wants, and she may carry a cancer gene. When Sera gets harassed by her “friends” Pervy older brother she lost her virginity to, Tyler beats him up and this exposes their relationship to Chase. Chase is so pissed but they’re lowkey just happy they don’t have to hide anymore. When Tyler finds out he may not get drafted by the team he wants he gets all sad, and it’s at the same time Sera gets the news that she’s positive with the cancer gene and will prob get it in her late 30’s. This causes her to go into shock and he comes home and comforts her and tries not to freak that she is basically numb and he doesn’t know why. Throughout the book they’ve evidently been each others comfort place. He says he’ll stick by her no matter what and it ends with her being pregnant at 23 (she needs to have kids young due to the potential cancer) and he bought them a house and proposes by using one of their “questions”.
Notable moments:
Hahaha orgasm hockey joke “One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was giving her a hat trick on the edge of a sink”
Stopped having sex after their one night stand cuz it was so good LOL: “My encounter with Seraphina at XS was top fucking tier—and it demolished my interest in anyone else after”
Why are they listen to her smutty audiobook in the car; “Edging via audiobook. That’s a new one.”
He goes to pick her up from a party when she got high and got scared. He bribed the door man a lot of money
He takes off her heels for her
“You like me,” she says in a singsong voice.
Obviously. But what can I do about that? Sweet fuck all, that’s what.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Her mouth tugs into a grin. “Because you like me.”
“Yeah, Ser. I do.”
They have sex for the first time again in the announcer box at the hockey arena after hours
He made her borrow his beanie to keep her warm: ““I hope you know I’m keeping this,” she says, smoothing her hair.
“I was hoping you would.”
BAH “Chase steals a glance at me, still shooting. “Hey, man.”
Guilt sparks in the back of my mind. It’s a little hard to look him in the face knowing I’m about to go jerk off to his sister.”
“Like a creep, I snag Sera’s bottle of shampoo off the shelf and sniff it while the water heats up. The tropical scent invades my nostrils, and my cock stirs impatiently. God help me, I’ll never be able to smell coconut without getting turned on again.”
He buys her a pink coffee maker since she can only have decaf bc of her meds and he doesn’t want the other roommates accidentally throwing out her batch again
Their texts are half cringey
“A soft knock draws my attention, and I pause the video, glancing up. “Yeah?”
“Can I come in?” Seraphina opens the door partway, peeking inside.
I don’t hesitate. “Always.”
“Wear whatever you want, Tink. I know how to fight.”
“When I picture the rest of my life five years down the line, I can’t help but insert her in it. My brain does it automatically. She’s everywhere.”
“Because my worst fear isn’t what I thought it was.
It has nothing to do with hockey at all.
It’s losing her.”
He makes her his background in his phone before they even start officially dating
When she finds out the test of her having cancer later in life is positive, she goes into shock and he finds her sitting in the overfilled tub filled with freezing water and he calmly tries to clothe and warm her. She tells him the test is positive and he thinks she means pregnancy and he starts saying he’s not going anywhere
4 stars! ⭐️
i actually enjoyed this book so much, i guess because it’s different from the usual tropes i read. also Seraphina is sooooo much like me it was kinda nuts reading it. i almost feel like everything wrapped too quickly but at the same time i feel like if it didn’t it would’ve dragged on too long..? tyler is so perfect i was in awe
i actually enjoyed this book so much, i guess because it’s different from the usual tropes i read. also Seraphina is sooooo much like me it was kinda nuts reading it. i almost feel like everything wrapped too quickly but at the same time i feel like if it didn’t it would’ve dragged on too long..? tyler is so perfect i was in awe
