I love this book! I've read it and now listened to it, and the audiobook is really good! Andi and Mitch have both been through some trauma in their lives that have led to where they are now. I loved their initial meet, with Andi marching out onto the ice to give Mitch a piece of her mind. And from there on, those two have the sweetest connection. The tension and banter and chemistry between these two made their love so sweet and tender. This book had many fun, spunky elements but it was also emotional and meaningful as we learn about their lives. I love how Andi and Mitch ignite their romance, showing themselves wholly to one another and bringing out the kindest, gentlest versions of each other. AND NO THRID ACT BREAKUP!!!! I love when that happens :)))
Overall, absolutely lovely story! Thank you for the ALC!!!

Love love loved this sweet romcom. I loved the sports romance, single “parent” and grumpy/sunshine tropes in this book. It was well written and I loved the relationships between all the characters. The narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life. I already can’t wait for book 2 in this series!

I know for most people plot isn't very important but for me it is, this book has some issues.
The characters are boring at best and have little development.
I feel like this book was rushed because hokey romance is trendy right now.
Also, to market a book as funny it definitely has to deliver. This book is a 3/5 for humor.

I'm definitely in a sports romance mood lately and this was another cute book to add to the list.

The characters in this are adults and one is a pseudo-parent to her younger brother after their parents die in a car accident. I liked Andie and Noah's relationship, watching it evolve as they both process their grief and adjust to this new life.

My favorite part was Mitch going to therapy for his anger issues and processing a lot of emotion and past trauma. I don't think we see men in fiction get mental health help often enough and I thank the author for including that here.

The romance wasn't bad, it just kind of went from very little chemistry to them basically in a relationship. It was supposed to be a slow burn, but I think it missed the mark a bit.

I thought there were several fun side characters in this and it seems like there will be more installments featuring them. I'd love to see more of Mitch and his teammates, so I'll be watching for that to come.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the copy.

This is a cute story, overall. It is light and easy to read and provides a nice escape into a typical hockey romance. I think that I was a little disappointed by the main characters seeming to only be attracted to one another with little in common. When I think about it, the MMC and the FMC's little brother had more in common than they did. It definitely skews more cheesy than what I typically prefer in a romance read. I thought that the MMC addressing his childhood trauma and anger issues in a therapy setting was really refreshing and was glad to see that. I felt like the FMC might have needed the same, seeing as how her parents suddenly and tragically died in a car accident that then thrust her into a caregiver/guardian role for her younger brother. There wasn't a whole lot of depth and that was felt throughout the novel.

All that said, it was a short and sweet book that kept me engaged enough to finish. If you're a hockey romance fan who prefers closed-door romance, this fits the bill.

I was provided with the audiobook through NetGalley and enjoyed the narration by Alex Picard. Dane Anderson was a new to me narrator and he took a bit to get used to. He read at a much slower pace and at times this was jarring. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook!

A grumpy/sunshine hockey romcom - sign me up! Mitch "the Machine" is sooo cranky and his bad attitude gets him suspended and coaching youth hockey as his punishment. Andi is spunky, sassy and always tries to find the positive. The synopsis clearly states this is closed door but I didn't know going in. The banter and tension are so great that I didn't miss the spice (well maybe just a little). The story deals with grief, abandonment, mental health and touches on addiction. Highly recommend and cannot wait for the next book!

This was a cute and quick read. I think I loved Mitch’s character arc the most. It was nice to watch him settle into and accept the softer parts of himself even if it felt slightly rushed at times.

The romance was also a little fast for my taste but I still enjoyed the dynamic between Mitch and Andi. And the dynamic between Mitch and Noah (Andi’s little brother) was even better. The relationship they shared being a part of Mitch’s specific healing journey was a nice touch and made the building of their new family really sweet and natural feeling.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who prefers closed door/fade romance and wants to feel like they’re a part of the hockey romance craze that’s currently happening!

3.5/5 stars

(This was an audio read and I didn’t love either narrator. They both felt a little flat to me. I tired not to let that lower my rating but I do wonder if I would have enjoyed the story more in a different format.)

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance listening copy.

Content: romance is fade to black, mild language

This was a cute hockey romance. It had some heavier elements in it. Dealing with grief (loss of parents) and anger issues. The FMC is a nurse who has to take care of her brother after her parents pass away and an angry burly hockey player that is forced to coach a child hockey league and therapy after he gives an opposing player a concussion.

It’s short and sweet and the relationship developed fairly naturally. Not an insta connection. But there is no spice and I didn’t know that going in, so wanted to share.

I liked the audiobook! Both narrators were great. I would definitely read more audio from either narrator.

3.75⭐️ sweet but I wanted more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this audio book in exchange for an honest review! I will also post this review on Amazon on the release day.

A beautiful closed door sports romance between NHL defenseman Mitch "The Machine" Anderson - renowned for his fiery disposition, inked skin and rugged tone - and his exact opposite, Andie Downsby. Following a 15-game suspension due to an altercation on ice, he's reluctantly assigned to mentor a youth team, aiming to mend his tarnished reputation. Enter Andie: the sibling and legal custodian of a young player on the junior hockey squad. Andie displayed remarkable qualities. I admired her self-assuredness, consistently responding with an affectionate cheekiness. Their charming first encounter beautifully balanced humor and simmering tension.

Mitch is a broken man, with a tender heart, and the consistant inclusion of his therapy sessions was a highlight, showcasing Mitch's active commitment to work on his anger issues and mental well=being.

I cannot wait to read about his other D.C. Eagles teammates!

Received an audio advanced copy from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Uh, absolutely loved this story!! Why haven’t I been reading more sport romance?? I loved Andie and Mitch and fire they helped each other with their own grief and feelings of inadequacy. There’s just something about a giant, scruffy man who just wants to be hugged 😍

The audio was pretty well done. It’s dual narration and I enjoyed both narrator’s voices. The guy’s deep rumbley voice was perfect for Mitch!! The female voice tended to get real quiet at times, so listening while driving/working in a noisy lab I missed a few sentences here and there.

Overall, highly recommend this book for any sporty romance lover!

*SPOILERS*
Content: swearing (no Lord’s name in vain or F bombs), loss of parents, alcoholic parent, parental abandonment, raising your tweenaged sibling, ICU nurse
Romance: kisses, one fade to black scene at the end after they are married

This book was such a pleasure to listen to! I really enjoy closed-door romances for audiobooks and this book hit a really nice balance of having suggestive content without being extremely explicit. I love hockey romances and this one brought the rougher hockey character out in the MMC, Mitch. Throughout the book he has to work hard to conquer his grumpy side and past demons. Andie carries her own burdens, but often remains optimistic. She cares for her younger brother, Noah, who happens to be on the youth hockey league that Mitch is forced to coach. From Mitch and Andie’s very Interaction, I knew they were going to have some really funny moments together. The author really balances, sweet serious, along with those more humorous moments. Noah is such a great side character to the story, and I loved seeing how his relationship with his sister changed. This book is heartwarming and redefines what family can be while still bringing humor and romance. 5⭐️, 1.5🌶

The narrators were perfect for this book and I didn’t want to stop listening to them!

This was a cute rom-com! No spice, I know a lot of people prefer that! The narration was great!! I appreciated that there was no third act breakup! The normalization of therapy and the grieving process was excellent. Overall, Desire or Defense was a good story!

Desire or Defense is an adorable (note: no spice) grumpy-sunshine hockey story, filled with great banter and swoony heartwarming moments. I love that while the couple encountered difficulties, there was no third act break up. Additionally the focus on mental health and de-stigmatizing needing and wanting therapy was refreshing. he character growth of all main characters is great. Definitely recommend and would look forward to reading more from this author! I love dual POV with male & female narrators - the narration was great!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC!

I enjoyed listening to this cute romance on audiobook. The characters were so believable and loveable.

This was an adorable hockey romance. There was no spice (close-door romance), but the banter and flirting between Mitch and Andie had me blushing and kicking my feet. However, if I hadn't listened to the audiobook of this I probably wouldn't have finished it after I found out there wouldn't be any on-page spice.

Mitch is a grouchy hockey player suspended because he can't control his temper. He is now forced to coach young players and to go to therapy to do some damage control on his image. He coaches Noah, Andie's little brother. She is so protective of him and so spunky that his own defense start to melt...
This is a grumpy sunshine, hockey, closed door romance. It's book 1 in the D.C. Eagles Hockey series, told in dual first person POVs (his/hers). I usually love me a good grump, but at the beginning of this book, the MMC is almost unbearably grumpy, it was annoying and made it hard for me to connect to him. I started warming up to him at around 40%, and there was great character development on his part thereafter. I loved Noah, he was so sweet! It was a fun an endearing read, with lots of very heartwarming moments, and I really enjoyed it. Plus, there are difficulties towards the end, but there is no third act break up. And the narration in the audio book was great.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

Mitch is grumpy, rightfully so with a past that would hurt and haunt anyone. Parents who didn’t care until he was someone.
Andie is doing her best. Raising her much younger brother after they lose their parents.
I love Andie & Mitch together. The banter, the sassiness, and Mitch being gaga for Andie.
The narrators performance would be 4/5 stars. Loved the male narrator.

I loved this book and was so happy it was out on audio. I love the relationship between Mitch and Noah. The epilogue was everything I could have wanted and more.

This is a review of the audiobook with a dual cast featuring Dane Anderson and Alex Picard. These narrators did a great job as the characters and really brought them to life and I truly enjoyed listening to them.

Desire or Defense is a sweet, closed door romance, full of hilarious banter between Andie and Mitch.
Mitch is a pro-hockey player with some anger issues. After being forced to therapy and to coach a kids’ hockey team while on suspension, he meets Noah and Andie. Andie is big sister to Noah and also his legal guardian after their parents passed away in a car accident. Now Andie is fighting to keep herself afloat while caring for Noah, working as a nurse, and trying to deal with their mutual grief.
I didn’t know much about this story going in, other than it was a hockey romance. I really like how the author highlighted mental health, both dealing with anger and grief, and openly helped de-stigmatize how much seeking therapy can help.
We watch as all 3 main characters grow, heal and build a strong foundation with their found family.
A heartwarming, pure romance that left me eager to read the rest of the Eagles books!

Tropes:
Little brother’s coach
Found family
Grumpy/sunshine
Closed door romance

Review of the audiobook of Desire of Defense by Leah Brunner

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Desire or Defense is a cute romcom story following Mitch and Andie. Mitch is a NHL defenseman with a penchant for ending up in the penalty box and finds himself suspended from playing for a month and his image to rebuild. Suddenly he’s stuck as an assistant coach for a youth hockey league. Andie is an ICU nurse who is just trying her best to rebuild her relationship with her younger brother after she unexpectedly became his guardian. The one thing she knows her brother loves in hockey, so she goes to as many practices and games as she can, but suddenly there’s a new coach and she does not appreciate the way she’s treating the boys.

I really loved the way that this story emphasized the stigma around therapy and normalizing it. I am an emotion seeking reader and I just don’t feel like there was enough build up or time spent developing the understanding and experiences of Mitch’s internal struggles. I really enjoyed the development of Andie and Noah’s relationship the most. As someone with siblings with a significant age gap, this is something I could relate to and I found it to be impactful.

Overall I like the predictability of the plot which embodied the core of a classic romcom to me. It was a cozy listen and I enjoyed it!