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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
4.25 ⭐
1 🌶️
1 🌶️
Tropes/themes: Hockey romance, introvert & extrovert, grumpy/sunshine
Dual POV 1st person
This story was really good! Honestly I got pulled in and didn’t write down many notes, but it was really cute and adorable and swoony. Ben is the cutest omg. His attempts at following his teammates’ dating advice is so freaking hilarious and sweet. That poem 🥹🥹🥹
My only complaints are that it needs more spice (I always say this lol) and I wish Mable would’ve told him that he is normal when they started on their extrovert lessons. Those aren’t very big deals though, and I still enjoyed reading this a lot.
funny
hopeful
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
I’m hooked on Kelly Jamieson hockey romances! Ever since I picked up my first Bears Hockey book (Must Love Dogs…), I fell for the characters, and little Otis, how she wrote about the #Humboldt crash but fictionalized it - she’s a Canadian author that is absolutely one-click for me!
Crossing the Line is yet another example of her brilliant writing style and she’s giving us a brother’s best friend trope in a fresh way. When Ben has to room with his BFF for a couple months before his new place is ready, and then suddenly Mabel shows up to live on the couch after an unexpected break-up and moves to the city, he knows he’s in trouble. He’s always had a thing for her but she’s completely off-limits! She’s the only one who can help with his public speaking problems though, when his coach and staff require him to step out of his comfort zone in a bid to become team captain.
A fresh take on a number of tropes (not just the one), Jamieson’s beautiful prose, and who doesn’t love a hockey romance?! A definite recommendation from me, obviously! I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the early copy. This is my honest feedback.
Crossing the Line is yet another example of her brilliant writing style and she’s giving us a brother’s best friend trope in a fresh way. When Ben has to room with his BFF for a couple months before his new place is ready, and then suddenly Mabel shows up to live on the couch after an unexpected break-up and moves to the city, he knows he’s in trouble. He’s always had a thing for her but she’s completely off-limits! She’s the only one who can help with his public speaking problems though, when his coach and staff require him to step out of his comfort zone in a bid to become team captain.
A fresh take on a number of tropes (not just the one), Jamieson’s beautiful prose, and who doesn’t love a hockey romance?! A definite recommendation from me, obviously! I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the early copy. This is my honest feedback.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Who cannot love a brother‘s best friend's secret romance? Jamison gives us all the feels about Mabel finding herself again with her brother‘s best friend Nash. I liked Mabel was so sensitive to Nash‘s needs to help bring him out of his shell. It’s always the quiet ones you need to worry about. Nash helped ground Mabel and get her to focus on what she wanted in life. It's the great first book in the new Storm series. I can’t wait for more.
Thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review purposes!
2.5 ⭐
The story follows Mabel, a quirky librarian and sister of a hockey player, and Ben, an introvert who happens to be her brother’s best friend. The two end up living in the same apartment and striking up a deal in order to help Ben become more outgoing, and that’s how the story unfolds.
I’m a sports romance enthusiast so when I found this in my read now section I had to read it. It was my first time reading this author, so it was also my first approach to her writing style which is my main problem with this book. Especially in the fmc pov, I found the style hard to enjoy. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make her seem quirky and funny, but, again, I haven’t read anything else from her so I could be misinterpreting it.
2.5 ⭐
The story follows Mabel, a quirky librarian and sister of a hockey player, and Ben, an introvert who happens to be her brother’s best friend. The two end up living in the same apartment and striking up a deal in order to help Ben become more outgoing, and that’s how the story unfolds.
I’m a sports romance enthusiast so when I found this in my read now section I had to read it. It was my first time reading this author, so it was also my first approach to her writing style which is my main problem with this book. Especially in the fmc pov, I found the style hard to enjoy. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make her seem quirky and funny, but, again, I haven’t read anything else from her so I could be misinterpreting it.
Mabel goes back to her borther's, a hockey player, after she breaks up with her abusive boyfriend. Little did she know that her brother was sharing his house with his best friend, Ben, whom Mabel had a crush as a teenager.
I like the way both Mabel and Ben grew up and went outside of their comfort zone. I did not like some tropes or events that took place in the second half of the book though.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of the novel. All opinions are my own.
I like the way both Mabel and Ben grew up and went outside of their comfort zone. I did not like some tropes or events that took place in the second half of the book though.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of the novel. All opinions are my own.
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
Not terrible enough to dnf, but not that great either.
Not all of it was bad, I related a lot to Ben and his social anxiety. However, the writing was super juvenile for most of the book. Somehow, these two went to high school together, and she didn't know he had a brother and sister?
The use of words like rizz, banging, boiking, and gah had me thinking this author must be young. Investigating further, she's not, so it's even more bizarre.
Also, there needs to be a huge trigger warning for the death of a baby! I was not prepared for that situation at all.
Not all of it was bad, I related a lot to Ben and his social anxiety. However, the writing was super juvenile for most of the book. Somehow, these two went to high school together, and she didn't know he had a brother and sister?
The use of words like rizz, banging, boiking, and gah had me thinking this author must be young. Investigating further, she's not, so it's even more bizarre.
Also, there needs to be a huge trigger warning for the death of a baby! I was not prepared for that situation at all.
This book started off great! It was silly and flirty and sexy and then wait a second?? What the heck? I was thrown off by a particular event in this book and I felt it was totally unnecessary to include. The event does not involve the main characters directly but it does effect them and while I guess I can somewhat see why the author added it, I was not a fan and feel like it could have been left out. I will say that overall I did really enjoy this book and I liked Ben and Mabel individually and as a couple. I liked how they were both accepting of each other 100% without judgement and they were both very supportive.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Sometimes you give something a try and hope that it will be different...only to find that little has changed. This is me and the brother's best friend trope. The way that this trope generally plays out in hockey (or sports) romances rarely deviates from a set form: hockey teammates, who purportedly care about and respect one another on and off the ice, are divided when the sister of one of the players begins dating or sleeping with their sibling's best friend. It usually involves a lot of "locker room talk," "bad boy/player," or "modern profligate rake" to emphasize the reasons why the brother's best friends is unsuitable for the female main character in question. These double standards and internalized patriarchy are tired, and also generally serve to infantilize the female main character and create unnecessary plot tension. All of these aspects were present in Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson, and sadly this book just did not work for me. As a hockey romance, it really didn't work for me. Too much junk food eating and beer drinking and quite frankly very little ice time.
The story centers Mabel Smits, a quirky, effervescent, and oddball librarian, who has recently left her relationship of several years (he was a narcissist and emotionally manipulative) and her steady job at the local, small town library. Now she is starting over in New York City - Hoboken, actually - trying to find a new job and temporarily living with her professional hockey playing brother, Marek Smits. Her brother also happens to be playing host to his best friend, Ben Antonov, so apartment space is limited and awkward runs ins are unavoidable. I liked how Ben and Mabel initially partnered to build Ben's extrovert skill set. That aspect of their relationship was very thoughtful, clearly communicating some of the challenges faced by introverts in an extroverted world.
There were some minor aspects that felt unnecessary: Taylor Swift and Bridgerton references, using the word "rizz," I'm not like other girls, and inventing the word "crappleberries."
The story centers Mabel Smits, a quirky, effervescent, and oddball librarian, who has recently left her relationship of several years (he was a narcissist and emotionally manipulative) and her steady job at the local, small town library. Now she is starting over in New York City - Hoboken, actually - trying to find a new job and temporarily living with her professional hockey playing brother, Marek Smits. Her brother also happens to be playing host to his best friend, Ben Antonov, so apartment space is limited and awkward runs ins are unavoidable. I liked how Ben and Mabel initially partnered to build Ben's extrovert skill set. That aspect of their relationship was very thoughtful, clearly communicating some of the challenges faced by introverts in an extroverted world.
There were some minor aspects that felt unnecessary: Taylor Swift and Bridgerton references, using the word "rizz," I'm not like other girls, and inventing the word "crappleberries."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Crossing the Line" by Kelly Jamieson is a captivating romance novel that follows Ben, a hockey team captain struggling with public speaking, and Mabel, his best friend's sister who moves into their shared condo. Their complicated history and simmering attraction create a delightful tension as they navigate personal challenges and unexpected feelings.
As a frequent romance novel reader, I found this book impossible to put down. Jamieson's writing style is smooth and engaging, with characters that communicate authentically and develop beautifully. Ben's character arc is particularly compelling - his vulnerability and growth are wonderfully portrayed. The supporting characters add depth to the story, and the dynamic between Ben and Mabel feels genuine and heartwarming. Their journey from awkward cohabitants to potential lovers is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. A standout romance that perfectly balances humor, heart, and heat. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
As a frequent romance novel reader, I found this book impossible to put down. Jamieson's writing style is smooth and engaging, with characters that communicate authentically and develop beautifully. Ben's character arc is particularly compelling - his vulnerability and growth are wonderfully portrayed. The supporting characters add depth to the story, and the dynamic between Ben and Mabel feels genuine and heartwarming. Their journey from awkward cohabitants to potential lovers is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. A standout romance that perfectly balances humor, heart, and heat. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting
Minor: Child death, Violence, Car accident