{"id":467167,"date":"2025-12-23T18:48:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T18:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/467167\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T18:48:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T18:48:37","slug":"heated-rivalry-superfans-recommend-more-hockey-romance-books-to-read-while-you-wait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/467167\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Heated Rivalry’ Superfans Recommend More Hockey Romance Books to Read While You Wait"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you or a loved one are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, whether while waiting for your chance to dogear pages of your very own, or for the next episode of the show to drop, VF asked hockey romance aficionados about their recommendations for books fans may want to reach for.<\/p>\n

Canadian Boyfriend, Jenny Holiday\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Canadian Boyfriend’ by Jenny Holiday<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Held<\/strong>, co-founder of the Really Reading Romance Book Club<\/a>, writer of the What to Read If newsletter<\/a>, and author of the upcoming nonfiction book Romancelandia<\/a>, highlighted Jenny Holiday<\/strong>\u2019s Canadian Boyfriend, a straight romance that \u201cdoesn\u2019t actually have that much hockey in it.\u201d (\u201cA surprising number of hockey romances do not actually feature a ton of hockey,\u201d Held says.) She called it a book \u201cabout people in their late 30s figuring out their baggage, under the guise of a hockey romance.\u201d Held especially loves the audiobook edition, narrated by actor Joshua Jackson<\/strong>. \u201cI think it’s just totally fabulous and very fun that he went from playing a hockey player as a teenager in The Mighty Ducks, and then narrating this book as an adult hockey player. It\u2019s just a nice easter egg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Face Off (D.C. Stars Book #1), Chelsea Curto\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Face Off’ by Chelsea Curto<\/p>\n

Held calls Chelsea Curto<\/strong> \u201can up-and-coming star in the romance world, particularly for hockey,\u201d thanks to her D.C. Stars series. \u201cIf you are still mourning the cancellation of Pitch, this is your book, because it’s about the first female NHL player,\u201d Held says of Face Off, the first book in the series. That trailblazing player finds chemistry (that she wasn\u2019t looking for) with a male teammate, making for a spicy rivals-to-lovers plotline.<\/p>\n

Shoot Your Shot, Lexi LaFleur Brown\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Shoot Your Shot’ by Lexi LaFleur Brown<\/p>\n

Talk about an insider point of view: Who better to write a hockey romance than someone who has lived one? Lexi LaFleur Brown<\/strong>, whose books include Shoot Your Shot and the upcoming Evening the Score, is married to former NHL player JT Brown<\/strong>. Held hails Brown as \u201ca new author who\u2019s interesting, especially in this moment,\u201d pointing out Brown\u2019s deep roots not just in hockey, but in the hockey romance online community. \u201cShe rose to prominence on BookTok<\/a>, specifically by dissecting hockey romances and what they got right or wrong.\u201d Expert source? Check and check.<\/p>\n

Ice Knights series, Avery Flynn\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Parental Guidance’ by Avery Flynn<\/p>\n

Avery Flynn<\/strong>\u2019s Ice Knights series, beginning with Parental Guidance, is \u201cgenuinely hilarious,\u201d Held says. \u201cThose books make me laugh out loud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check, Please! Ngozi Ukazu\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Check, Please!’ by Ngozi Ukazu<\/p>\n

Some hockey romances are graphic in the sexytimes sense. Others are graphic as in\u2026illustrated. Such is the case with Check, Please!, a two-volume queer hockey rom-com in graphic novel form. \u201cI feel like it’s a little bit of a cult favorite,\u201d Held says. \u201cThe main character, Bitty, is a gay southern baker, and he’s in college on a hockey scholarship. He lives in kind of a frat house with his fellow hockey players, but they are all really supportive of him and his sexuality and his quest for love. Maybe there’s a little bit of a spark between him and the older team captain. It’s one of those ones that either you love it, or you haven’t heard of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Him, Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Him’ by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy<\/p>\n

Laura McCormack<\/strong>, another avid romance reader, says she recommends \u201cliterally everything\u201d by Sarina Bowen. Megan<\/strong>, who devours at least one hockey romance a week (and asked to be identified by only her first name), says that a series Bowen co-wrote with Elle Kennedy<\/strong> was her gateway into the genre. \u201cHim and Us were maybe my first,\u201d and then she was hooked.<\/p>\n

Rookie Move, Sarina Bowen\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Rookie Move’ by Sarina Bowen<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ready to settle into an entire extended universe of love and hockey, McCormack recommends Bowen\u2019s Boston Bruisers series, beginning with Rookie Move. \u201cThat one is just delicious,\u201d she says. \u201cIt’s straight and it’s got spice, but it’s got a lot of heart, and kick-ass heroines who are successful in their own right. It’s fun because it has tie-ins to other series. It’s the hockey player and his brother, and his brother works for the security team, and then you get to go and read the series for the security team. It’s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Deal, Elle Kennedy\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Deal’ by Elle Kennedy<\/p>\n

McCormack also loves Kennedy\u2019s Off-Campus series, beginning with The Deal, which features college-aged characters and plenty of spin-offs. \u201cNow they’re on the second generation [of characters],\u201d she says. \u201c I was listening to one of the second-generation ones on a plane, and I gasped so loud at the reveal part that I scared the man next to me. It was a really good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Shots You Take, Rachel Reid\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Shots You Take’ by Rachel Reid<\/p>\n

Reid has more to offer than just Heated Rivalry and the Game Changers series. Reader Megan recommends Reid\u2019s standalone book The Shots You Take, another queer hockey romance, this one set in a small town and featuring two ex-friends mapping out their shared future. \u201cI love it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s set over many, many years. It\u2019s a second-chance romance, there\u2019s some yearning, reconnecting, and finding their way back to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Real People Do, E.L. Massey\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Like Real People Do’ by E.L. Massey<\/p>\n

Enemies to lovers, public image versus private life, young love, yearning, and ice rinks? Like Real People Do, the first installment in E.L. Massey<\/strong>\u2019s Breakaway series, has all that and more. Capizola recommends this title especially to those who enjoyed the third episode of Heated Rivalry, which explores similar themes, \u201clike how fame impacts the ability for you to be yourself.\u201d This queer hockey romance follows a young pro player and an online hockey influencer as their relationship evolves. Plus, Massey has fun playing with the bad boy hockey player stereotype, with Capizola describing the main character as, \u201cI\u2019m not just a jock, I have feelings!\u201d<\/p>\n

Puckboys series, Eden Finley and Saxon James\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Egotistical Puckboy’ by Eden Finley and Saxon James<\/p>\n

You know what \u201cpuck\u201d rhymes with? Yeah, expect a lot of that in the 10-book (so far) Puckboys series, co-written by Eden Finley<\/strong> and Saxon James<\/strong>. The first book is Egotistical Puckboy, and each installment follows a different queer hockey couple. McCormack loves this series when you\u2019re in the mood for something that\u2019s \u201csilly and filthy and gentle on plot.\u201d Once you burn through all 10, don\u2019t worry: The two authors have multiple other hockey series to add to your TBR list.<\/p>\n