A review by madlereads
Offside by Avery Keelan

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?
"No idea."
"There are no words."

🏒 college hockey romance 
😎 reformed playboy
🥰 he falls first
😳 he's her ex's rival 
❤️ (sorta) enemies to friends to lovers

This book was so darn cute! I ate it up. I actually didn't realize how long this book was until maybe midway but I'm not too mad at how long it is.

Bailey was dumped by her bf on her birthday of all days. What better way to get over him than being taken out with some friends to go dancing? Even better (or not?): at the club she meets her ex's rival and #1 enemy of her college's hockey team: Chase Carter.

I always always love the trope where they go from kinda dislike to friends to lovers. Especially that period when they're hanging out and being friends (with a little sexual tension hanging over them.) Ugh so cute. I think a solid friendship is a great foundation for relationships. And Chase and Bailey have a really good one. 

Chase may have been a huge playboy with *quite* the past. But once he met Bailey, he was all for her. He fell first and hard! He's the perfect book bf. So respectful of boundaries yet helps Bailey expand her confidence, so caring, protective, and DEVOTED. He made me giggle and kick my feet. And he's pretty dang emotionally intelligent. That surprised me given his history 😛

I loved his goofy and lack of braincells mixed with Bailey's more serious and kinda anxious personality. There were so many moments that had me cackling with their banter. Chase's constant dirty mind meets Bailey's exasperation and semi-innocence. 🤣

Bailey was obvi so resistant to Chase's charm even as a friend because of her previous "loyalties" to her so-called friends. I enjoyed her growth. And the book, though long, really showed their relationship including the ups and downs with that natural insecurity. Especially if you're finally moving on from a toxic relationship.

Bailey's hockey friends were absolute shit. I'm still mad at them. I wished there was more *consequences* for her roomies being grade A bitches. Her brother too.
Sure Derek apologized I guess but meh. A real good big brother would've stuck by Bailey and protected her from the start. He was spineless.

Really I was looking for something more cathartic retribution on page for Luke too 😤 but I'll settle for how the book wrapped it up. This isn't that type of genre 🤣

Don't worry, Chase gives Bailey some new friends who got her back 😤 Siobahn and Dallas are fabulous. 

Circling back to how I said this book is long, usually I get tired since it would feel like the plot is stretched out or things get repetitive. This didn't really have that feel too much? Could I have gone without some scenes? Sure. It's fine though. I can see this being a comfort read because it's so cute but I doubt I'd reread this in full 🤣

Anyways I can't wait to read the rest of this series and universe. I really did like Avery Keelan's writing! It's very comforting and cute.
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