Overall I quite enjoyed this book. It has elements of second chance, surprise pregnancy, and teen mother & single mother✨ This story follows Benji and Liv who were childhood sweethearts. Benji has been accepted to play with a hockey team and of course Liv supports him because it’s his dream to play professional hockey. Of course Liv does leave a minor detail out, the fact that she’s pregnant, because she knows in her own heart and soul that Benji would not follow his dream because he would not want to abandon his kid the way he was abandoned. Now fast forward 9 years later Benji is back in his local town of the off season person and a little boy that strikingly looks like him catches his eye, his questions are only confirmed when Liv’s mother picks up her grandson. I mean that’s the first thing I loved about this book Benji put 2 and 2 together and got to 4 fairly quickly. It always annoys me when the MMC is “blind” to an obvious fact. Of course Benji is quite upset that Liv never tried to contact him about his son. But in this scenario I understand and agree with both sides of the story, Liv was right to keep Knox a secret as he knew Benji wouldn’t of become the successful person he was today but Benji also had a right to know and I can understand his frustration. I adore how quickly Benji jumps on the father train, honestly swoon😫 Benji and Liv also learn to co-parent during this time and honestly it made both realise that they never fell out of love with each other- even though it did take Liv longer to get there and I mean who could blame her, the man she fell for all those years ago became the playboy of the hockey league. I do love how Benji does step up and puts those fears to bed and that she is the only one for him. I will say that the romance between the couple isn’t as smooth sailing, they had a lot of growing pains to adjust to and this is what I also adored about the book as it gave a very realistic element, rather than Benji just showing up splashing his money and them being one happy family, its not realistic and I am glad that is what the author did not do. Liv fought back against Benji and vice versa.🫶🏼 Even while adjusting to Benji’s return you cannot deny the love and chemistry between this couple. I mean he took her to NYC for their first date😭😭 A final note I wanted to add, I loved how supportive Liv’s family was from the fact she had a baby at only 17. He parents were considered quite religious in this book but they accepted Liv and Knox and loved them immensely and helped Liv whenever she needed a hand. Thank you so much to the author for providing this early copy.

Overall I thought it was an OK book. But after reading more of it, I would get annoyed with the female lead. I understand that she was a single mom for eight years. But that was her choice. She knew that the male lead would’ve raise the child together if he knew about it. Every time the guy said anything about the child, she would try to overrule him or tell him why her way is better. She kept talking about always putting the child first. But the more she said it, the more I thought she’s just trying to get her way. Is it really hurting the kid to have his hair a little longer than normal? If he buys his kid a happy meal and it comes with a toy, why do you have to talk about spoiling him? I think she should’ve been way more humbled for the pain that she caused her son and guy.

Where do I even start with Liv and Benji?! My heart literally shattered for them so hard. Also for Knox when he finds out. I swear my heart was racing and I wanted to cry right with his family. I couldn’t be happier they got their HEA and I so desperately need a book with double trouble when they become adults!

⭐️: 4/5 🌶️: 3/5 Yall!!!! This was the cutest freaking story and I ate it up!! 🥰 Benji was definitely a book boyfriend for the books, the way he jumped right into fatherhood and didn’t think twice about turning his life around from playboy to fatherhood had me swooning!! The only reason I gave this book four stars was because Liv did get on my nerves at times throughout the book and her stance on the whole marriage thing kinda bummed me. But overall, I really loved this book as a whole and would definitely recommend. **Also, be sure to read the bonus scene after finishing the book.** 😉💗

Ok, I am officially a hockey girlie!! While this one was a little less hockey focused than Bagging the Blueliner, it still had me flipping pages like a madwoman! I’m such a sucker for a second chance romance! I’ve been dying for this book ever since the shock ending of BTB. No spoilers ahead if you’ve read Bagging the Blueliner. Benji’s life is everything he dreamed of. The poor kid from BFE Michigan is now a hockey superstar, living in the lap of luxury, and a different gorgeous woman in his bed each night. After an incredible season, he reluctantly returns to the hometown that houses some damaging memories only to be blindsided by a huge surprise! Torn between anger, resentment, old and new love, Benji must confront his demons if he wants to reclaim the woman who has his heart and make the family he’s always longed for. Liv has made some huge sacrifices in her young life. This single mamma would do anything for her the men she loves, including letting one slip out of her life so he could go on to great things. She’s going to have to learn to face up to the consequences of her own self sacrificial behavior and also figure out how to let in another parent when she’s used to going at it all alone. Benji’s backstory absolutely broke me. I just want to wrap him up and never let him go. Liv’s story reminds me so much of myself, a “sinful” girl living in a judgy religious town. Totally digging the fluffy girl representation and I literally squealed a few times a Benji worshipped those curves. God he makes me swoon! I loved watching both Benji and Liv grow and learn how to trust each other and figure out how to love each other as adults when so much has changed. First love runs deep but time can be hard to overcome. It was so much fun seeing the little flickers of youthful infatuation tied in with the passion they found as adults. Daddy Benji was so adorable and I’m making myself giddy thinking about him with a little baby girl. A whole brood of little nuggets! With Knox as the greatest big brother ever. God that kid is cute! Spin off series of him and Beau in ten years time starting their own hockey careers?