I received The Playing Game by Ainsley Booth as an Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by author Ainsley Booth, and was the perfect steamy addition to the hockey romance era I’m currently indulging. It’s dual POV (we love to see!), with second chance romance, guy falls first, girl who got away vibes - and a hint of insta love from the MMC. And did I mention steamy, I really wasn’t expecting the spice that was served (during a live radio segment, I mean…🥵)

The first 15% was a bit slow for me, with lots (I meant lots!!!!!) of character introductions for people that I really didn’t care to know about but I’m guessing may continue to reappear as this is the first book of a new series. The pace definitely does pick up eventually though overall the book did feel a bit longer than it needed to be. There was a lot of hockey play-by-plays in Kieran’s chapters that ultimately felt a bit unnecessary to the plot and I found myself mostly skimming those pages but that’s only because I personally like my sports romances to be light on the sports side of things and heavy on the romance.

Kieran was the perfect golden retriever MMC, who never for a moment second guessed his feelings for ‘resistant to his affections’ Harper. The author did an amazing job of building the tension for the two MCs to reconnect, I was literally chomping at the bit for them to finally see each other again after 2 years. I enjoyed reading about MCs in their late 20s/early 30s which I think can be hard to find in sports romances where the characters are often in college. Overall, the book was fairly low angst, and no third-act breakup because everybody is mature around here, phew.

I really enjoyed this book and will absolutely be hanging out for the rest of the series including Kiley & Ty and maybe even Grant will find his perfect man at some point. Only time will tell!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

So, this one starts off kinda weird but funny. You get to understand his infatuation with her and why he wants her so much. They have history. I’m glad I read this one because it is seriously sexy and the heat level is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 out of five! I love a good spicy read 😉

*This review has been published on Goodreads on 9th March 2023

This was a solid 3 star read for me! It had some of my favourite tropes in it:
* Hockey romance
* Small Town
* Second Chance romance

It was honestly a nice, cute, fluffy read that would be good for anyone looking to read something to fill time between a series or looking for some spice in a book. It did get quiiite intimate between characters many times and if you like dirty talk with spice then this is your book! A good chunk of this book was smut so if that is your thing then I would recommend it for you - I personally don’t like having it present as much and in a row as what was in this. I found myself skimming the spice about halfway through the book.

Kieran is a hockey player nearing the end of his career and gets traded to an expansion team in a smaller town in Canada. He reunites with Harper who he had a one night stand with 2 years prior - this is their second chance romance.

Overall I just don’t think I connected with the characters well and for me there just wasn’t anything memorable about the characters themselves. Kieran was a total sweetheart and Harper was so kind but I personally need a little bit more angst, conflict and tension in a book I’m reading - something that might give the characters a bit more depth to their relationship to show their growth clearly. Perhaps it is also because it is a hockey romance within a pool of many other hockey romances I have read and just hasn’t stuck out. In saying that, I would be interested to see if Kiley gets her own story lol I was very intrigued by her.

Romance readers would rejoice to know that there is no third-act breakup and there generally isn’t anything wrong that goes on in the romance here. A solid good book I'd say.

*I received an e-arc from the publisher and was so sad that I didn’t get to read the epilogue :( epilogues are my favourite!

So, so good!

What an amazing dynamic between these two! Kieran is a veteran hockey star, a player in every sense of the word, until his ONS with Jersey Girl, a hockey fan who rocked his world before disappearing into thin air. Two years later he still hasn't gotten over her, his off the ice playing days are over, and now he's headlining a brand new team in a somewhat small market. But that's when he sees his Jersey Girl again, which changes everything.

I adored his pursuit of Harper - he was very careful not to cross over into stalker behavior and to respect her boundaries - but man, he was so far gone for her it was only a matter of time before she saw that his reputation no longer accurately described who he was deep down.

Harper has Very Good Reasons to avoid a serious relationship with a hockey player, and I really enjoyed the way the author took us through her emotional journey as she figured out that Kieran was different in all the right ways.

This author can always be counted on to bring the heat, and let me tell you, this book is as hot as they come. Be prepared for multiple steamy scenes that never get boring or repetitive.

We also get to know quite a few of the players on the new team, and fans of the author's other Pine Harbour series will recognize a sweet young couple whose relationship is slated to be explored in the next book in this promising series. I loved the HEA for Harper and Kieran, and I'm looking forward to reading more about the Hamilton Highlanders. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I was hooked on Kieran and Harper's story from their prequel that happened two years before The Playing Game. After their one night stand, Kieran tried to find "Jersey Girl" but didn't know her name. He was traded a couple times after that night to different hockey teams. He kept looking for her in the stands just in case she'd show up at a game. He was traded to the Hamilton hockey team and there she was! Kieran had to go through many hoops to find Harper. When he did, he didn't give up - even when he had to become "just friends". Eventually, Harper can't resist her feelings for Kieran. She has a problem with hockey players because of her mom and who her father is. This was a real love story and I'm sad that it's over but because it's the first in the series, I'm sure the rest of the series will be great, too. I received an advance copy to read from Netgalley and I'm leaving my honest review.

Ainsley Booth/Zoe York is a new-to-me author and The Playing Game was a wonderful introduction. The book is fully 75% sex scenes, but the story weaving Kieran and Harper together was tender and full of emotion. Kieran is a total simp for Harper from page 1 (and really from the prequel novella!) but you get to see that play out in really adorable ways. I appreciated that there was no third-act breakup or really any conflict of any type beyond some of the "meet the family" anxiety. I would definitely read more in this series and from this author!

Content warnings: Harper's father abandoned her and she's got some daddy issues she works through. Harper is a pediatric nurse and there are a few scenes in the hospital where she is caring for sick children. Kieran experiences a concussion at one point after a hard hit in a hockey game.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Electric from the beginning. Will have you flipping pages and gripping the edge of your seat!! I could not put it down!!!!.

Oooooooh how I loved this book. An awesome start to a new series!

I absolutely loved how obsessed Kieran was with Harper. Everyone deserves a man to worship her the way he did. Delicious praise kink, a dash of exhibitionism and plenty of filthy hot chemistry. Yum!

Can I also make mention that there wasn’t the usual nonsense/drama for drama’s sake third act break up. Nope. This one is like a sexy comfort read.

Definitely recommend.

Cat and Mouse at the beginning of story really exhausted, Harper doubt make her think imposible famous man like Kieran will rembebr her, so she always avoid and running from Kieran. Kieran hisself always looking for Harper, their time 2 years ago really change him. When they are together its really sweet and gowey! I like their relationship, listening and caring to each other, wanting to spend time together. The sexy time really hot tho, not only fucking the making love too.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#ThePlayingGame #OffTheIce #AinsleyBooth #ARCProvidedbyVictoryEditing #VictoryEditing #NetGalley #NetGalleyCoop #ARC

Harper is strong, independent, and she is finally not afraid to go after what she wants. Kieran is a stereotypical professional athlete who’s playing on more than just the ice. That is until one night in Buffalo. A chance meeting that turns into a once in a lifetime opportunity for true happiness for two strangers who have more in common than they think.

This is easily right up there as one of my favorite hockey romances. She’s a nurse, he’s a hockey player. Hello, dream. I love that Harper is a strong female main character that can be just that, but also be vulnerable and it’s not written as weakness. Kieran is just perfection. His loyalty, his honesty and just the way he worships Harper is just ideal. The spice is spot on too.

I love how much technical hockey talk there is in this book. As a big hockey fan myself I really appreciated reading a hockey romance that was more than, he’s a hockey player. It felt more realistic.

I hope to see more of these characters in the future!

Harper and Kieran met a few years back and had a one memorable interlude. Their paths cross again and they find out that it is more than an attraction that pulls them together. The story gets hot fast and then quite emotional, Kieran is a hockey player and as part of the team giving back to the community he and his teammates visits children in the hospital and some of his visits are incredibly moving. Turns out Harper is a nurse at that same hospital and no matter how much she tries she can't hide. And Kieran wants to find her and hold her. I like that he pursued her, that they had frank honest discussions, there wasn't any major misunderstanding, they tackled the issues like adults. ...and as per Kieran, talking things through is good.

I have read all the books in the Pine Habour series as well as the Kincaid series and I love cross overs, so was happy to read about one in this book.

There were some lovely sentences that I highlighted that wrapped the story up in a warm blanket and I may borrow the wall of joy phrase and speed wobbles.

Hoping that there are more stories to come.....

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

I love sports romance so when I saw the Arc for this on Netgally it was a no brainer.
I’m so glad I went for it, it was excellent.

A really good read, one that I found both interesting and entertaining.
The characters had a wonderful sense of chemistry between them , and it was so lovely to see what he was willing to give up for her.
Knowing her past he did everything to make her feel comfortable and confident within the relationship.
This was a very well written story and I very much would recommend it

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post a review

I reads this as an arc from NetGalley and I will give my 100% honest and open review.

Forbidden romance
Sports romance
Second chance
Hockey romance
Spicy

When I first started this book I was slightly bored by the mmc chapter (yes this is dual pov) but only because I’m not a fan of hockey and his povs were about hockey. Obviously but around 30% into the book I didn’t mind too much as the plot had picked up.
What I liked about the book was the writing and the characters the plot didn’t Intrigue me as much as I was hoping for but that might just be me! Not everyone likes the same things.
I love the authors writing and I’m definitely thinking about picking more books up by them!

The plot follows two people, Kieran (our hockey player) and harper (a nurse) they meet two years ago and have a one night stand ending with harper gone in the morning now two years later harper is sitting front and center of Kieran’s hockey match.
He Perseus her in which she pushes back because of her past. She doesn’t want to hurt her mom. The book ends with a HEA and the two finding more and more out about the other.

If you’re into sports/hockey romances then I’d definitely recommend it to you if your just starting out with sports romances (like me) this is a great start I’d say.
Enjoy reading!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5387329299

3.75 ⭐️

After reading The Girl in the Hockey Jersey, I was very excited to get an early copy of The Playing Game.

Harper & Kieran’s story did not disappoint, and he is god tier boyfriend material. My only complaint really is the story felt a bit drawn out, especially Harper’s back and forth mess and catering to her mother’s feelings instead of being happy, but other than that it was great!

I immediately fell in love with Harper and Kieran, both of them have worked hard to get where they are in their careers and in life. He is coming to terms with what his life might be without hockey and she is ready to have a little fun. The small town feel with Harper and her mom and friends in a mid size college town that has just added a NHL team with big city players (yeah, players in both senses of the word) ratchets up the angsty disconnect. Ainsley’s books are always hella sexy and this one is extra spicy, but also sweet and heartwarming bringing out all of the feels. If you haven’t already read the free prequel it’s not necessary but it is a sweet sexy slice of life that enhances this story. I hope we get more in this new hockey world.

This is a new series by Ainsley Booth and loved it so much and I am also a major hockey fan so this was the perfect book for me.
After a one night stand in Buffalo and not thinking they would see each other again. Keiran gets trade to Harpers home town of Hamilton. He spots her in the crowd on opening night. He has been looking for her since that night not able to get her out of his mind. She feels the same but because of her daddy issue about dating/marrying a hockey player she fights her attraction.. that doesn't last long but because of her issue they agree to be friends.. again doesn't last long.
So ups and down they finally come together and fall in love.
One of my most favourite scene was spending Christmas on a island. The Christmas presents they give each other are both romantic and naughty. lol
Highly recommand this book for hockey fans and spicy sex scenes. Hoping the next book in the series is about Harper's bf Kiley.

4.5 stars! one of the best hockey romance i’ve read!
thank you for netgalley for giving me this arc, this is my honest review.

this book is just so amazing, i’m always a big fan of books written by ainsley booth’s other pen name, this is my first ainsley booth’s book, and she did not disappoint!

kieran is just so perfect, he’s so caring, nice, loving towards harper, he’s one of my favorite book boyfriends now haha. this book is really low on angst/drama, and VERY steamy! the sex scenes in this book, whew, so fucking hot, ainsley booth really has a way with words! i actually did not expect this book to have praise kink, but omg i love it so much.

recommend this to people who love steamy hockey romance, this book will give you all the warm and fuzzy feelings, and make you want a kieran marsh yourself!

**3.75 Stars**

The Playing Game is a one night stand romance turned so much more when Kieran, a famous hockey player, and Harper, a nurse, have one amazing night that neither can forget, and they find themselves back in the same city again and both feel the pull to reconnect.

Harper has a complicated past with hockey, and has done everything she can to forget Keiran and move past him, with no such luck. It's not helping that now that Kieran has found her, he has made it his mission in life to be her friend and do nice things for her and try to get her to give him a chance. It doesn't take her long to see that he isn't the stereotypical hockey "player" and that they have a connection worth exploring.

I really liked both Harper and Kieran. Kieran was truly amazing. He went out of his way to try and earn Harper's trust. He was patient, sweet and the perfect boyfriend. Although I understood Harper's hesitation, I feel like it was a little overplayed after a while, especially with regard to her mother. I also felt like part of the story in relation to her father and her fears with being in the public eye needed to be flushed out more as it was kind of just left out there and never explained further in terms of the future and when her and Kieran's relationship goes public etc. Otherwise, the story was engaging and interesting and I would recommend it. I appreciated the low angst nature of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review includes content guidance

Ainsley Booth's The Playing Game is a steamy (13! spicy scenes), immersive sports romance between NHL veteran player Kieran, and paediatric nurse, Harper.

In this series kick-off, we know that after an unforgettably sexy hook-up 2 years ago during which she persisted not to exchange names or numbers, he has just been traded to her hometown team. Despite all best intentions to not follow her secret passion for hockey, and desire for Kieran, she simply cannot resist to check out their kick-off game. He's been transforming his life since they first met, hoping they'll somehow find each other again. And when he spots her at the game, he pursues her. Harper still isn't up for being with a hockey player, so he insists on becoming friends instead. Well, needless to say that they won't be playing in the friends-only zone for long.

Kieran and Harper are so hot for each other! This book could easily also be in the erotic romance category. Though there are also plenty of heartwarming and sweet love scenes, funny aspects, and descriptions of professional hockey player life. As a side note, I appreciate the diversity of the team, which isn't always a given.

I found it super easy to get lost in the story. It's an easy, super sexy read spread out to over 400 pages. And even though there was plenty of potential for more drama (for example her dad, or at the children's ward), I appreciate that the author didn't go there. Nevertheless, I did include content guidance at the end of my review.

Tropes: 2nd chance, good girl, reformed rake/ 'player'
Heat:4.5/5
Overall: 5/5
Release: March 9th 2023

Bonus: I totally appreciated having the opportunity to read Kieran and Harper's 1st hook up as a free prequel novella available. That part of the story could have easily been a prologue as part of the book but I loved having it as a separate option.

The story left me with a book hangover and I now crave more stories from the series.

Please note that the eARC did not include an epilogue (why? why? why?) and this review is based on the story without the final story wrap up.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for granting me a copy of this novel in advance of the publication date in exchange for a fair review.

Content guidance:
frequent, explicit, consensual sex scenes between adults; scenes of a paediatric hospital ward (not explicit, low angst); unsupportive parents; abandonment by father and resulting trauma, descriptions of injuries received during hockey training and games

---- Reviews will be posted on retailers (after publication date), facebook groups, Twitter, Gooodreads, and on @romance-nook on Instagram -------

Holy sh*t did I need this book in my life. Ainsley Booth (aka Zoe York) writes some of the best romances around (see: Pine Harbour), so when I was approved to read her upcoming hockey romance The Playing Game, I JUMPED at the opportunity to scoop this one up. And friends, FRIENDS, Kieran Marsh is about to be everyone’s book boyfriend, for real.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Ainsley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the advance copy, thoughts below are my own, enjoy!

So before we get, get into it, do y’all know I’m from Canada? The west (best) coast but I am very much a north of the border human (hi). And there are a lot of hockey romances out there set in my home country that kinda miss the mark a little bit, and I don’t know if that this game, culture and sport are SO ingrained in our lives, but reading The Playing Game was SUCH a comfort. From the way the game is described, to the language of how the coach “motivates” the team to TOQUES being called toques (sorry knit caps and beanies this ain’t your time) and arenas being affectionately called BARNS, friends I was all in.

But Kelsey, what about the romance? Stuff it you, I’m getting there.

YOU GUYS. From the moment we meet Kieran, our big (elder statesman) is playing but also so distracted by a woman who rocked his world TWO YEARS earlier has somehow made her way to his first home game (and is wearing his jersey). And from there, it’s one delicious moment after another while our big boi is SO in love and playing the long game to win our gal Harper’s whole heart.

THIS IS A JOY TO READ. IT’S GENUINE, SWEET, SWOONY, EARNEST, AND WOW DO WE ALL WANT A KIERAN IN OUR LIVES? YES. ALSO HE TEACHES HER HOW TO SKATE?!? LIKE IS THERE ANYTHING MORE ROMANTIC THAN THAT? ACTUALLY I DON’T CARE, NO THERE IS NOT. SKATING IS ROMANTIC, I DON’T MAKE THE RULES, ALRIGHT.

But! Butt. Butt. Also there’s a face-melting amount of smut. Some of the hottest sexual chemistry I’ve read, and we’ve got everything:

- Butt Stuff
- All the Praise
- Pseudo-exhibitionism
- Phone Interview Hand Stuff
- Oral All Day Long

Like good-god, this book. This man. I was here for every freaking minute of it. But it’s not all fluffy smut. There is a secondary story-line that features Harper’s own baggage with professional hockey players, and wow the PROTECTIVENESS Kieran has for her (and their relationship) is truly goals (pun intended). Oh and fans of Pine Harbour, my little heart was OVERJOYED to see Becca, Hayden and Charlie. Wow, I love these fictional characters like a totally well-adjusted and very normal amount.

If you’re looking for a big golden retriever type that is just GONE for the girl (plus hockey) please look no further than one of the best lower-angst, no 3rd act break, (kinda) second chance romances I’ve read, in The Playing Game, which is hitting retailers March 9th 2023. Go on and grab it on pre-order or grab it when it’s released, so we can all loose our collective marbles over how much we all LOVE Kieran.

xo Kels