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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Absolutely loved it perfect hockey romance
I kiss her, long, slow, deep—the kind of kiss that’s a prelude to how I want to fuck her.
3.75 stars
“Aren’t you possessive,” she says. “Don’t want anyone touching my date,” I joke, only it’s not a joke. I fucking don’t.
This was a spicy brother's best friend, and her best friend, hockey romance featuring a marriage of convenience, body paint, and bossiness. Oh, and lots of toys - the fun toys.
Maeve is pretty and charming and fucking adorable. How did I miss what’s been right in front of me?
I liked Maeve and Asher together, they had good chemistry (as most best friends to lovers do), and I once again love all the cameos from the other books
“You look like…” Mine.
I loved the relationship Ash had with his dads and Maeve had with her brother, after all the hardships both of them faced.
I already want to toss her over my shoulder and take her home. See if she looks as good in my ties, bound to her wrists, as she does in that vest.
I did have a few issues with this one, and I’ll mention one - the way Asher’s mental illness was portrayed. It could have been done really well and I would have connected with it (medical paranoia? I dunno what the diagnosis is, but he was basically constantly worried and obsessive about medical problems in those he loved. It’s probably an anxiety disorder). I loved that part but the actual emotion behind it was lacking, or a “telling not showing” issue.
Thank you to Lauren and her team for this ARC!
How could she look like anything else but mine when she’s wearing my vest?
3.75 stars
“Aren’t you possessive,” she says. “Don’t want anyone touching my date,” I joke, only it’s not a joke. I fucking don’t.
This was a spicy brother's best friend, and her best friend, hockey romance featuring a marriage of convenience, body paint, and bossiness. Oh, and lots of toys - the fun toys.
Maeve is pretty and charming and fucking adorable. How did I miss what’s been right in front of me?
I liked Maeve and Asher together, they had good chemistry (as most best friends to lovers do), and I once again love all the cameos from the other books
“You look like…” Mine.
I loved the relationship Ash had with his dads and Maeve had with her brother, after all the hardships both of them faced.
I already want to toss her over my shoulder and take her home. See if she looks as good in my ties, bound to her wrists, as she does in that vest.
I did have a few issues with this one, and I’ll mention one - the way Asher’s mental illness was portrayed. It could have been done really well and I would have connected with it (medical paranoia? I dunno what the diagnosis is, but he was basically constantly worried and obsessive about medical problems in those he loved. It’s probably an anxiety disorder). I loved that part but the actual emotion behind it was lacking, or a “telling not showing” issue.
Thank you to Lauren and her team for this ARC!
How could she look like anything else but mine when she’s wearing my vest?
funny
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
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.75
In Short: Cute, adorable, fun, and charming read.
General Thoughts: This was the first book I've read by this author, and I can already say it definitely won't be the last. I adored it. It was so cute and spicy. A lot of spice, but it didn't overwhelm the plot. I listened and read parts of this since I had an alc and arc. It was phenomenal on audio. They did an excellent job with this duet. It really helped bring the story to life.
Friends to lovers, when done well, can be one of my absolute favorites. And this one was done really well. The characters were realistic, the writing was fun, and I flew through it. I now want to go back and read more by this author. I appreciated the mental health rep and how the author addressed past grief and trauma. Were some things in the plot convenient? Maybe. I didn't mind it at all though. Lauren has a new fan.
Spice Meter: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 Spicy. Often so and in fun ways.
Reading Order: This was the first I read in the series. Other characters make cameos and appearances, but I think you could start wherever.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy and a review listening copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Hambright PR.
Romantic Tropes
-dual POV
-best friends to lovers
-close proximity
-fake marriage/accidental marriage
-hockey lite sports romance
-cute and spicy
You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.
In Short: Cute, adorable, fun, and charming read.
General Thoughts: This was the first book I've read by this author, and I can already say it definitely won't be the last. I adored it. It was so cute and spicy. A lot of spice, but it didn't overwhelm the plot. I listened and read parts of this since I had an alc and arc. It was phenomenal on audio. They did an excellent job with this duet. It really helped bring the story to life.
Friends to lovers, when done well, can be one of my absolute favorites. And this one was done really well. The characters were realistic, the writing was fun, and I flew through it. I now want to go back and read more by this author. I appreciated the mental health rep and how the author addressed past grief and trauma. Were some things in the plot convenient? Maybe. I didn't mind it at all though. Lauren has a new fan.
Spice Meter: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 Spicy. Often so and in fun ways.
Reading Order: This was the first I read in the series. Other characters make cameos and appearances, but I think you could start wherever.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy and a review listening copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Hambright PR.
Romantic Tropes
-dual POV
-best friends to lovers
-close proximity
-fake marriage/accidental marriage
-hockey lite sports romance
-cute and spicy
You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.
funny
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
3.5 Like it
So after having My Favorite Holidate be one of my favorite books of the year I was excited to read more Lauren and while I enjoyed this book, it's also a perfect example of why friends to lovers is hit or miss for me.
Lets start with what I liked/loved. Maeve and Asher are obviously bffs and the way they are with each other is adorable. It's too cute and there's absolutely no doubt about how much they care about each other and how well they get together.
Maeve is a strong, independent woman who's had a rough life and is finally finding someone to take care of her. The way Blakely writes the FMCs is fantastic. I love them all as people. They're fully functional with or without their partners. Asher's Acts of Service love language is exactly what maeve needs.
Asher thinks he's broken and incapable of love since all his relationships don't last. And he's able to open up with Maeve since she already knows him. They do other things that could change her mind about him, so he doesn't feel pressure to be anything but himself. He also has 2 dads which made me happy. He spends so much time worrying about everyone else that he's not used to someone worrying and caring about him.
Asher and Maeve have been best friends for a long time and make a wedding pact and then spend 500 books after they get married repeating themselves with the "Do they feel the same as me? No, they can't feel the same. I don't want to ruin the friendship." At the same time it's also 300 pages of a "no touching" rule and them basically hooking up (it's very hot) and then still going through the loop of "Do they feel the same as me? No, they can't feel the same. I don't want to ruin the friendship." I spent 500 pages yelling at the both of them about how absolutely delulu they are lol
-Hockey romance
-Brother best friend
-Friends to lovers
-Marriage of convenience
-Found family
-Dual POV
-Marriage pact
Thank you, Hambright PR and Lauren Blakely for the ARC.
So after having My Favorite Holidate be one of my favorite books of the year I was excited to read more Lauren and while I enjoyed this book, it's also a perfect example of why friends to lovers is hit or miss for me.
Lets start with what I liked/loved. Maeve and Asher are obviously bffs and the way they are with each other is adorable. It's too cute and there's absolutely no doubt about how much they care about each other and how well they get together.
Maeve is a strong, independent woman who's had a rough life and is finally finding someone to take care of her. The way Blakely writes the FMCs is fantastic. I love them all as people. They're fully functional with or without their partners. Asher's Acts of Service love language is exactly what maeve needs.
Asher thinks he's broken and incapable of love since all his relationships don't last. And he's able to open up with Maeve since she already knows him. They do other things that could change her mind about him, so he doesn't feel pressure to be anything but himself. He also has 2 dads which made me happy. He spends so much time worrying about everyone else that he's not used to someone worrying and caring about him.
Asher and Maeve have been best friends for a long time and make a wedding pact and then spend 500 books after they get married repeating themselves with the "Do they feel the same as me? No, they can't feel the same. I don't want to ruin the friendship." At the same time it's also 300 pages of a "no touching" rule and them basically hooking up (it's very hot) and then still going through the loop of "Do they feel the same as me? No, they can't feel the same. I don't want to ruin the friendship." I spent 500 pages yelling at the both of them about how absolutely delulu they are lol
-Hockey romance
-Brother best friend
-Friends to lovers
-Marriage of convenience
-Found family
-Dual POV
-Marriage pact
Thank you, Hambright PR and Lauren Blakely for the ARC.
If you enjoy: he falls first and harder, marriage of convenience, best friends to lovers, hockey player x artists, and spice! Then definitely pick this book up.
For me this book felt a tad too long for what it was about, it focused heavily on Maeve being an insecure artist even after landing some pretty big gigs. Then towards the end of the book it focuses a lot on Asher being concerned about losing a loved one due to an illness. For half of this book I legit wanted to shake them and be like “just say you love each other!!”. Overall this is a sweet but spicy hockey romance, you see characters from the other books, Asher is the biggest golden retriever husband, and the friend groups are hilarious!
Thank you so much Lauren Blakely for the ARC!
For me this book felt a tad too long for what it was about, it focused heavily on Maeve being an insecure artist even after landing some pretty big gigs. Then towards the end of the book it focuses a lot on Asher being concerned about losing a loved one due to an illness. For half of this book I legit wanted to shake them and be like “just say you love each other!!”. Overall this is a sweet but spicy hockey romance, you see characters from the other books, Asher is the biggest golden retriever husband, and the friend groups are hilarious!
Thank you so much Lauren Blakely for the ARC!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Thank you so much to Lauren Blakely and Good Girls PR for an eARC copy of The Proposal Play! Here is my honest review.
I absolutely LOVE friends to lovers! Call me crazy but I just thing it's even more swoony when they finally realize the depths of their feelings and they already have such a foundation built together.
Asher and Maeve have been friends for the past decade, meeting in grief counseling then becoming the best of friends along with Maeve's brother.
Asher is a professional hockey player and while at a gala auction night where players are being bid on for a date night. Maeve overhears another woman wanting to bid on Asher for some selfish reasons so she and her brother step in to make sure that Maeve wins the date.
For their date the two head to Vegas, and after having a few drinks decide to cash in on the marriage pact they made at her brothers wedding a couple years prior, agreeing to get an annulment as soon as they get back.
With Maeve having some breakthrough jobs and Asher starting up a new non-profit they decide to stay married for a while longer. But the longer they're together they start to realize some things....
Again, I loved this one! The Love and Hockey series may just be my favorite series of Lauren's!
So if you like the following tropes, this one is for you!
-Friends to lovers
-Hockey
-Marriage pact
-Vegas wedding
-Marriage of convenience
-It's always been you
-Brothers best friend
-Close proximity
I absolutely LOVE friends to lovers! Call me crazy but I just thing it's even more swoony when they finally realize the depths of their feelings and they already have such a foundation built together.
Asher and Maeve have been friends for the past decade, meeting in grief counseling then becoming the best of friends along with Maeve's brother.
Asher is a professional hockey player and while at a gala auction night where players are being bid on for a date night. Maeve overhears another woman wanting to bid on Asher for some selfish reasons so she and her brother step in to make sure that Maeve wins the date.
For their date the two head to Vegas, and after having a few drinks decide to cash in on the marriage pact they made at her brothers wedding a couple years prior, agreeing to get an annulment as soon as they get back.
With Maeve having some breakthrough jobs and Asher starting up a new non-profit they decide to stay married for a while longer. But the longer they're together they start to realize some things....
Again, I loved this one! The Love and Hockey series may just be my favorite series of Lauren's!
So if you like the following tropes, this one is for you!
-Friends to lovers
-Hockey
-Marriage pact
-Vegas wedding
-Marriage of convenience
-It's always been you
-Brothers best friend
-Close proximity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Grief, Alcohol
The Proposal Play is book three in the Love and Hockey series featuring Asher Callahan and Maeve Hartley. This book features some great mental health representation for anxiety and grief. It’s also full of really fun tropes like best friends to lovers, marriage pact/ marriage of convenience, fun with toys, body painting, and a sweet twist on she wears his jersey.
I was blessed to be granted access to an ALC and ARC by Lauren’s team, and the audiobook is wonderful. Robert Hatchett and Vanessa Edwin have stellar performances in a duet style recording (they each voice their character’s lines regardless of the perspective of the individual chapter) with heart and heat in equal measure. The beauty of Lauren’s writing is that she’s given them such great material to work with at both ends of the spectrum. The humor, the emotional connection, and the spice are all there to enjoy. Robert really brings the heat to Asher’s filthy mouth. I’m emotionally invested in this story early on, and it made it so hard to pause when life got in the way from time to time, and I found myself actually cleaning my house to give me more time to listen during the day. Now that’s a miracle.
Thank you so much to Lauren Blakely and her team for the opportunity to review this ALC & ARC!
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
N/A
Maeve Hartley and Asher Callahan, tied together by Beckett Hartley. But their friendship, as it shows, blossoms outside of her brother and his best friend’s relationship. So much that she becomes his good luck charm. So much that she bids on (and wins) a date with Asher to protect him, a good luck charm indeed. And a night in Vegas with your best friend and good luck charm? What can go wrong? Mr. And Mrs. Callahan, of course.
And now the whole world knows about them. What started as a fun ruse becomes a real thing to get what each other wants and needs.
All of Lauren Blakely’s FMCs are so funny, quirky, and relatable. I loved Maeve and her passion for her art. It was so disheartening to see how her aunt kept discrediting her work as it wouldn’t make money as well as a practical job. And I love how supportive Asher was of her and her job. He believed in her. I love how so in love all the MMCs are with their FMCs. They made a list of cute things Asher has said about Maeve. COME ON!! Although, I hated the third act scene. It wasn’t a break up, but it was just so strange to see both of them change so quickly and their emotions getting so extreme all of a sudden. One thing I also can’t understand is if they are best friends or just friends to lovers because some of their actions made me really think about what they were/are. Overall, I loved this and I would recommend everyone to read this series by Lauren Blakely. I love every single book so far and can’t wait for the last one. I would like to thank the author and KP Simmon for my ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
𝐀𝐋𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
🎧𝐃𝐮𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Vanessa Edwin & Robert Hatchet🎙️
🏒𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
💍 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🏒 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝
💍Marriage Pact
🏒𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫
✨Thoughts✨
𝐈 couldn't tear myself away from this story. Asher and Maeve were not only charming together, but their witty banter and strong chemistry truly stole the show.
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 been best friends for years, Asher and Maeve casually agreed to a marriage pact. Little did they know that a few years later, during a trip to Vegas, they would actually find themselves married. To protect their careers and personal projects, they must pretend that their marriage is real. Maeve, a budding artist on the brink of fame, is more than willing to play the role of the happy wife. However, Asher struggles to hide his feelings for Maeve, which were blatantly obvious to everyone!
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 undeniable attraction builds, and they finally admit the deep connection they've been feeling for each other all along. They complement each other perfectly, taking care of one another and always being there. It was simply adorable!
𝐓𝐡𝐞 dual narration by Vanessa Edwin and Robert Hatchet was seamless and perfectly captured the friends-turned-lovers dynamic. Their voices matched the story's tempo flawlessly, creating an exceptional audio experience!
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥, if you're looking for a heartwarming friends-to-lovers story that will leave you swooning, look no further, this audiobook is it!
𝐀 big thank you to Lauren Blakely for this amazing audiobook. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
★★★★★
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝟑/𝟓🔥
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m starting the new year with a book that is already being added to my favorites for 2025. I gave it five stars and honestly, I wish I could give it more. I absolutely loved everything about The Proposal Play, but what stood out to me the most was the Best Friends to Lovers trope. This is one trope I’ve always enjoyed reading, and Lauren wrote it beautifully.
This story features not only the Friends to Lovers but the Marriage of Convenience trope, and it was quite different from anything I’ve read before. It revolves around a Marriage Pact between two best friends, Asher and Maeve, who are unforgettable characters. I loved these two so much and this review very well could go on all about Asher and Maeve.
This book is quite lengthy, but every moment spent reading about Asher and Maeve’s journey to their happily ever after is worth it. Asher has been secretly in love with Maeve for years, and now that they are temporarily married, he’s determined to make it permanent. However, there’s a problem: Maeve believes their marriage is fake and remains unaware that her best friend harbors feelings for her. She is about to be swooned by Asher throughout the book, and I was here for it. I loved the moment she realized he was in love with her.
Asher truly won my heart with his determination to show how much he loved Maeve. I won’t give anything away because readers should fully enjoy everything that Asher does for her. However, my favorite moment was when he gifted her an art studio at his place. What a sweetheart! He’s definitely making it onto my book boyfriend list, which is getting quite long, and Maeve is one lucky girl to have him.
Asher reminded me a lot of myself and the challenges he faced in the story. I loved how Maeve supported him, even though he had a hard time at first accepting something was wrong. I could relate to his character deeply, as it reflects something I deal with daily.
I loved Maeve as well because she supported Asher at every step, including the charity project he was involved in with her brother. She was his lucky charm, and it seemed inevitable that they would end up together. They were there for each other and made the perfect couple; it just took getting married in Las Vegas for them to realize it.
When it comes to spice, you can expect plenty of it in a Lauren Blakely book. Asher may be seen as a ‘Cinnamon Roll,’ but he tends to take charge in the bedroom—in a good way. =)
I previously mentioned in my review that I wish I could give this book more than five stars because it truly deserves it. I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to read more books from Lauren Blakely.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s an interconnected standalone in the Love and Hockey Series.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you love reading Friends-to-Lovers romance, add this book to your TBR now.
What to Expect:
💜Sports/Hockey Romance
💜Brother’s Best Friend
💜Marriage of Convenience
💜Marriage Pact
💜Best Friends to Lovers
💜He Falls First (He’s Been Secretly in Love with Her for Years)
💜Forced Proximity
💜Mental Health Rep
💜Sports/Hockey Romance
💜Brother’s Best Friend
💜Marriage of Convenience
💜Marriage Pact
💜Best Friends to Lovers
💜He Falls First (He’s Been Secretly in Love with Her for Years)
💜Forced Proximity
💜Mental Health Rep