A review by beckyyreadss
Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny 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

4.0

I was kindly gifted a kindle for Christmas by my parents and whilst I was setting it up and bought Kindle Unlimited, I saw this book available and considering Tessa Bailey was my top author of 2023 and I wanted to read this book and was fuming it wasn’t becoming a paperback, it made sense that this book was my first Kindle read.  

This novella has two points of view. The first is Britta and she is adored by all, and she is an ambitious waitress working at Sluggers. The popular bar holds a special place in her heart and is a regular hangout for the Bridgeport Bandits, the local hockey club. Her half-brother is on the team, so Britta has a strict no-dating policy for his teammates. But she does have a soft spot for one particular player on the team. The second point of view is Sumner, and he is on the brink of breaking into the NHL, but his time is running out with his work visa is about to expire. Sumner’s only chance to stay in Bridgeport is to marry an American and to get his green card. Otherwise, it’s back to Canada. On New Year’s Eve, the team begs Britta to marry Sumner that very night. Sumner is embarrassed yet hopefully, but he’s desperately in love. But Britta balks at first. Until something about Sumner’s soulful brown eyes and ripped physique makes her reconsider.  

I loved that this book is based on New Year rather than Christmas, obviously the week between Christmas and New Year is just completely missed and then it’s like all about the hopes of the new year. I love Britta and that she has no desires to be married and that she was independency and then she’s getting all jelly legs around Sumner. I loved Sumner and that he’s always loved her and that all the team knew even the stepbrother, but they just didn’t say anything, but they knew what they were doing by pushing him to marry Britta and that Britta also needed Sumner. I loved how much of a golden retriever he is and how much of a black cat Britta is.  

I know it was a novella, but I just wanted more and more. I wanted Sumner and Britta to confront Britta’s father. I wanted something to be said – a father to be punched. It would have been magnificence. Sumner had his family behind him, and we saw them, but I wanted to see more of the hockey boys rather than just Sumner and Britta’s stepbrother.  

I wanted this book to be so much longer, and I would this to be a series where the hockey players all find love.  
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