Head Coach by Lia Riley

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After rereading Mister Hockey for the cozy feels, I knew I had to reread Head Coach as well. This is the second book in Lia Riley's Hellions Angels series. While I haven't reread this one as much, this is the 3rd time I've read it. I was able to use this for the Winter's Kiss prompt forced proximity.

Neve is a reporter currently covering the Denver Hellions hockey team. She has an antagonistic relationship with Coach Tor. When they are around each other in more casual ways now that Breezy, Neve's sister, is dating Jed, their relationship starts to change. Tor is all hockey all the time and is still hurt from the divorce with his first wife. When his sister gets injured in a climbing accident and unable to attend his ex's wedding, at the request of his daughter Olive, Tor wins a bet and the favor he takes from Neve is to be his plus one. When there's a mix up at the hotel and they have to share a room, with one bed, the tension between them finally snaps.

This is probably one of my favorite enemies to lovers books. I'm not usually a fan of the trope, but I think it's done so well here with the tension between them. The enemies portion really comes from the disparities between their jobs. Tor is known to call the reporters "jackals" and Neve is a go-getter herself. Now, in Mister Hockey there's representations of a plus sized woman and the insecurities she might have. Neve is shorter and slimmer and has what I picture as a figure skater's body, just not quite as show ready. She has insecurities of her own and I love that this book, especially when paired with the first, really hammers home the point that no matter what you look like, you are you're own worst critic and can have a myriad of insecurities. It doesn't help that Tor says some hurtful things before the dynamic changes between them.

One of my favorite scenes is when they go running up in Telluride and end up in the path of a moose. That scene has stuck with me and I think about that scene more than you would expect. The fright that Neve feels but also exhilaration and way that they connect afterwards is a good example of how adrenaline can push a body. I also love that it doesn't take too long for the dynamic to shift between them, but they both don't want to admit it right away. As the reader though you can feel the change. One reason I really struggle with enemies to lovers is the lame excuse that the hero or heroine has hatred for the other. A lot of the times it seems like the hate is more one-sided and the other is acting out of hurt. Here they both give and take and it makes sense why they are antagonistic towards each other. Tor is the tight-lipped hockey coach and Neve is the reporter that wants all his secrets and enjoys needling him. I also love that she's behind some of the memes about him. There's a lot of pop-culture references in the series, and while it might not age well, as of now I still enjoy them. Maybe because I grew up during the same time as Lia Riley. Also, there's a lot of Denver and Colorado things that I feel like Lia had to live in Colorado at some point. Her bio says she's in California, but she had to have been here. It's the little things about Colorado that she gets just right, down to complaining about all the California drivers and Californication of certain areas. There's also a discussion about how a lot of born and raised Coloradoans aren't going into ski towns frequently to ski and snowboard. I have been to ski towns a couple of times, but for school functions that were during the summer/early fall. I am a proud Coloradoan, born and raised, and have never been on a slope.

Anyways, these books just really hit me well as you can tell. There's a lot of things that just work for me. I do have to say, the first time I read the third book I rated it 3-stars. It just didn't work for me as well. I haven't tried rereading though. I don't know if I will next, but I do want to try it again and see if my thoughts have changed. I just loved Mister Hockey and Head Coach so much that it's hard to meet their bar. If you enjoy hockey romance, certainly check out this series. I love that we get the older characters and the coach. I feel like a lot of the popular hockey romances out there are set in college or new adult so I love that these are established men that know what they want in life outside of hockey.

Have you read Head Coach?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Head Coach, Lia Riley, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 224 pages, published in 2018

Mister Hockey by Lia Riley

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Struggling with my book hangover from The Front Runner, I wanted something cozy that I knew I would love. I have been meaning to reread Mister Hockey by Lia Riley since the summer and knew now was the time to pick it up. This is the first book in her Hellions Angels series. This is the 5th time I've read this book. I was able to use it for Winter's Kiss covering the prompt hockey.

Jed West is the captain of the Denver Hellions and is recovering from a nasty hit during the playoffs. They ended up winning the cup, but he's struggling with what to do next. When he is getting interviewed for a sports podcast by Neve Angel, she gets an emergency call from her sister Breezy. Tor, the Hellions' coach, was supposed to do an event at the library she works at and was delayed by weather. Neve asks Jed to replace him and he agrees. What Jed doesn't know is that Breezy (and the women in her family) are huge Hellions and hockey fans. Jed is her favorite player and she has a lot of his memorabilia. When they meet, Breezy is completely tongue tied, but pulls it together. After a wardrobe malfunction occurs and Jed offers Breezy his jacket to cover up, she freaks out and runs. Jed gets her address so he can get his coat back (his wallet is in it) and ends up staying to help her with her leaking roof. He's very attracted to Breezy and her curves and they can't help but act on the spark between them.

Guys, this was such a comfort read for me. I was so happy to finally get to my reread. There's a lot of things that I can connect to Breezy with. Not only am I a big fan of hockey myself (thanks to my Mom), but there are a lot of family situations that really hit me. While the direct situations that cause strife between Breezy and her Mom aren't the same thing I experienced, the way that Breezy feels are so similar to how I feel with my father. That might be a little too open, but it's hard to constantly feel being compared to siblings and found wanting. I also love that Breezy is a child librarian and all her bookish and nerdy comments are similar to things that I enjoy and collect as well. Even down to the funko pops (although we have different collections).

I also love the way that she discusses her body image. While she is curvier and loves her curves, her insecurities still come out. Especially when she's around her family. There is one thing that I don't like quite as much, and that's that it feels like Breezy grovels more than Jed. While she does have things to make up for, hiding that she's not only a hockey fan, but a Jed stand, but he also hurts her as well. I still love this book and the feeling of acceptance that Breezy finds with herself, her family and with Jed always hits me in the feels. There's just something about finding that person that helps you be a better version of yourself and has your back through thick and thin!

I don't know if I'll continue rereading the series, I usually reread the second book Head Coach as well, just not as much. It's probably my favorite enemies to lovers, which is saying something since it's a trope I usually don't enjoy. If you like hockey romances, definitely check this series out. As I said earlier, it's my favorite hockey series and I love this book the most. There's just so much that I connect with. I haven't read anything else by Lia, but I do have a couple of her other books on my kindle to try. Someday I finally get to them!

Have you read Mister Hockey?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Mister Hockey, Lia Riley, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 222 pages, published in 2017