This book was a nice quick sports romance that checked all the boxes for me. I adore a hockey romance especially when the guy is obsessed with the girl. I do like the plot with their relationship but wish the scandal and dynamic with her father were fleshed out a bit more (I understand it’s challenging to do in a short book). adored Brody’s character and thought his personality and actions were well written to match. Overall I really enjoyed the book, I was smiling while reading it and found it quite fun.

2.5 stars
This is the updated edition, I never read the original. While I liked the chemistry between Hayden and Brody, I literally hated the way Hayden and Darcy talked to each other and then the way Brody thought HE could talk about Darcy at the end.
Overall, Body Check was a spicy, quick read but the friendship aspect of it was lacking.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review, all opinions expressed are my own.

Short and spicy hockey romance. 3.25/5 stars

If you’ve read Elle Kennedy before then this is exactly what you’d expect. It’s got the hockey romance and off-limits boss’s daughter tropes which keep it interesting. Definitely a little more graphic than I personally prefer for my romcoms but this book delivered as advertised.

I am a sucker for all things Elle Kennedy, and love a steamy romcom any day. Body Check was exactly what I was looking for. Labelled as a spicy RomCom, that is exactly what it was. Art History Prof Hayden wants a fling with Former Hockey Player Brody before she settles down for good with the boring safe bet. Both get more than they bargained for and "one-night" (of course) turns into "my father is the coach of your hockey team". There's nothing new to be had in this one, no surprises, but for what it is, it is great fun.

🏒 Hockey romance
💋 One Night stand
🏒 Soul mates
💋 Legal troubles


Quotes I loved!

“She loved that Doug was a gentleman but…fuck. Sometimes a girl just needed a man, gentle be damned.”

Her cheeks flushed at his perusal. “Don’t ogle. It’s unbecoming.”
“Ah, I was wondering where Miss Prim and Proper had gone. Hello, Professor, nice to see you again.”
“I am not prim and proper,” she protested. “Not in bed anyway…”

“The earth moves when we’re together and I love it.”

Hayden Houston is the coaches daughter of the Chicago Warriors hockey team. Most people don’t even know that she exists as his life is fully centered around hockey. Hayden is a professor at Berkeley and came home for the summer to help her dad while he’s going through a nasty divorce and serious cheating allegations with bribing players to throw a couple games.

Hayden is currently on a break with a guy named Doug who lets be honest sounds a real bore. They haven’t been intimate and are taking things way too slowly. He’s a safe option but he doesn’t make her heart soar.

Hayden meets up with her bestie Darcy and they go out. Hayden immediately clocks Brody across the bar playing pool and she gets the nerve to finally proposition him. She has no idea who he really is when she takes him back to her suite. She doesn’t normally do one night stands but she needed it.

Brody is a professional hockey player for the Chicago Warriors. He is known as a player where the ladies are concerned. He wants a serious relationship and doesn’t want more meaningless one night stands. At the bar he sees Hayden approach him and all bets are out the window. He gladly accepts her invite back to her suite.

They spend the rest of the night with perfect sexual chemistry and he asks for her number the next morning. Of course she says no but he leaves his for her anyway.

When the night is over he asks for her number but she tells him no and that she only wanted one night no strings. He is shocked and says “you want to deprive us of that” while pointing at the bedroom. He chuckles but leaves his number for her incase she changes her mind.

Later that day she attends a game with her father where of course she runs into Brody after the game. They act like they just met and her dad doesn’t know any different. He talks her into having drinks after and she finally agrees.

They can’t keep their hands off each other. They are so hot together. But of course the one time they find what is almost too good to be true they inevitably split for a short time due to the craziness of the investigation. Being connected to Hayden could look bad during this because she might have known about her father’s bad deals.

This story is all about love, loss, and moving forward in life. It was spicy, romantic and funny. I always enjoy Elle’s books and this one did not disappoint.

Thank you to Elle, Harlequin and NG for letting me read this before it’s republished!

I love just about anything Elle Kennedy writes and this quick hockey romance was no exception! This was Kennedy’s first hockey romance and to celebrate, Harlequin is re-releasing it on July 2, 2024 with new and extended scenes from the author! Plus, a fabulous cover that fits in with her other hockey romances. I loved Hayden, but Brody was really where it was at. He was a great character and my only complaint was that I wanted to know him more! The epilogue is always one of my favorite parts of a romance and this one fits the bill! If you love a spicy hockey romance with a good plot, this is the story for you!

Body Check is a spicy sports romance, and also Elle Kennedy's first hockey romance. I personally enjoyed this one! I loved Hayden and Brody's relationship and the turns it took. The chemistry was there, the spice was definitely there, and not to mention the "playing hard to get" factor made everything much better. Both Hayden and Brody have their own battles they're fighting and their own reasons for not jumping to pursue each other. With Hayden already having a complicated relationship with her father and feeling like she has to compete with whatever hockey team he currently owns and now with his newest scandal, forming a connection with star hockey player Brody Croft is the last thing Hayden Houston needs..but she just can't help it.
This spicy rom-com is perfect if you want a quick, fun read, one with steam and banter. The pacing is great and so are the characters and plot. 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin- Romance, and Elle Kennedy for this read!

I enjoyed this read. It was fun and cute, with a good amount of intrigue and mystery. I have liked Elle Kennedys college romance books, but I enjoyed this one better: it was a fun read.

This book was exactly as it was labeled. A spicy rom com. I do think this is one of Elle Kennedys spiciest books that I have read, but it did have its cute moments. I think if you are wanting just an easy read with not a lot of plot but just the cute fluffy romance aspects you will love this book.

This was SUCH a blast of a book! Super quick, fun, fast-paced, spicy and romantic.

Hayden is visiting with her father, who owns a Chicago hockey team, and who is facing an incredibly messy divorce. She has sworn off long-term relationships with bad boys, but especially hockey players, after spending her whole life experiencing the upheaval that often came with her fathers career. She spots Brody in a bar, not knowing that he is the star player on the very same team her father owns, and decides she needs a one-night stand. Brody has always been a one-night fling kind of guy, but he's finally ready to settle down with someone special... someone like Hayden, if only she wasn't the team owners daughter.

I loooove love love a good forbidden love trope, and there are so many things working against these two throughout the book, making for some incredibly fun tension and sneaking around. This is actually by far the spiciest book I've read by Elle Kennedy, and let me tell you.. it is immaculate and starts earlier than it does in a lot of books, but works very well. It also grows very organically, from a one-night stand, to a summer fling, to both of them being sure they can't live without the other.

There are also some serious external conflicts dealt with in this story, specifically Hayden's fathers divorce and all of the allegations that are coming with it. Hayden has to face a really difficult crossroads with her father, questioning whether he is still who she knew as a child, and whether he can be trusted. I thought this was handled really well, and added some drama to the story without feeling contrived or over the top. It also made their forbidden-love all the more believable in its necessity, which always ups the ante for me!

I just really, really enjoyed this, and I think I might dive into a sports romance phase because of it. Its spicy, romantic, and easy to read all in one afternoon if you want to. It has the perfect balance of heartfelt, tension and drama. I'd call it a win literally all around!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the eArc of this gem!

Read if you like: #SportsRomance #HockeyRomance #BadBoyTurnedGood #SteamyReads #SecondChanceLove

📚 Elle Kennedy’s *Body Check* dives into the thrilling world of hockey and romance with an expanded version featuring new and enhanced scenes. Follow Hayden Houston and Brody Croft as their unexpected one-night stand turns into something much deeper amidst a backdrop of game-fixing scandals and personal growth.

👨‍👧 Hayden Houston, an Art History professor, is determined to break free from her past dominated by her hockey coach father. Brody Croft, a dedicated hockey star, is ready to move past his reputation as a bad boy and find something real. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their journey is anything but smooth.

💞 The heat between Hayden and Brody is palpable, making for a steamy read that borders on the erotic. Despite initial intentions for a fling, their connection grows stronger, leading Hayden to reevaluate her preconceived notions about relationships and Brody. Watching their romance unfold amidst challenges is both thrilling and satisfying.

👧 While the focus remains on Hayden and Brody, the side characters, including Hayden’s father and Brody’s teammates, play crucial roles in the story. The game-fixing scandal involving Hayden's dad adds a layer of tension and intrigue, testing loyalties and deepening the plot.

✍️ Kennedy’s writing is engaging and vivid, capturing the intensity of both the hockey scenes and the romantic encounters. The expanded version of *Body Check* brings more depth and heat, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

🌟 *Body Check* is a fast, easy read perfect for fans of sports romance with a spicy edge. Hayden and Brody’s journey from a casual fling to a meaningful relationship is compelling, with plenty of scorching moments and emotional growth. The satisfying epilogue wraps up their story beautifully.

4.5 stars for Elle Kennedy’s Body Check. This cute face past contemporary hockey romance was just what I needed. This was my first Elle Kennedy novel but I hear she’s the hockey romance diva so, I can’t wish to check out more of her work. If you’re looking for a quick palate cleaner book or a dark series in between this would be perfect to fit the bill.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Romance for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elle Kennedy is forever the Queen of Sports Romance, and I cannot believe that this story was her first ever published because it was just soooo good!

This was a short, and spicy Romance read! The tropes, the spice, the banter between Brody & Hayden, it was all perfect! I also absolutely loved how there was a bit of a mystery element to the story we got to learn about while reading. I absolutely adored this book, and think all my Sports Romance girlies, will eat this one up!!

Tropes:
-Sports Romance
-One night stand
-Forbidden Romance
-Hockey Player x Owners Daughter
-Super spicy
-An element of mystery

One of my favorite quotes:
“You’re a walking contradiction, baby. Serious and proper one moment, wild and uninhibited the next. And the more I get to know you, the more I like what I find.”

Hayden Houston desperately needs to break her dry spell and a one night stand with a hot stranger while in Chicago visiting her father seems like the perfect solution. She can head back to the Bay Area perfectly stress free and ready to settle down into a stable life. Brody Croft is one of the star players for the Chicago Warriors hockey team, and has no idea that the one night stand he just had was with his team owner’s daughter. Now he just has to convince her for more than one night.

Body Check is Elle Kennedy’s very first contemporary romance, and was originally published more than 15 years ago! This reissue comes with additional, updated content and it’s really fun to read Elle’s first ever hockey romance after having been a huge fan of her later hockey romances.

He falls first is one of my favorite tropes, and this one really delivers on it. Brody is down bad for Hayden after their original one night stand, and it was fun to watch him work to convince her that what they felt between them wasn’t a fluke. There was a ton of spice in this! I enjoyed the intrigue of the hockey scandal as well.

All in all a really enjoyable read and one that any Elle Kennedy fan should pick up if they haven’t yet!

This was my second Elle Kennedy book. I found this one to have a lot more heat than the previous one. If you like sports romance with spice every second or third chapter, this is definitely one for you. I would have enjoyed a little more in the way of l hockey scenes. Overall I enjoyed the characters and I this was a quick read.3.5 stars

Romance - CHECK
Spice- CHECK
Short- CHECK
Easy Read- CHECK

👉🏼I’m always a sucker for a sports romance.

•🔥•

While this was enjoyable, it was far from my favorite Elle Kennedy novel. The spice was well done, but I found the plot lacking. I didn't love the main characters like I have many of her others and overall, it just fell flat. The ending was incredibly rushed and I just didn't connect with the story. Luckily it's a quick read but certainly not a standout for me.

I just adore Elle Kennedy’s book. This one was no exception.

If you want a quick, spicy, romcom read this is it. I didn’t love the indecisive bit Hayden had about her other BF because he was just so bland. I mean I get it but um yeah he wasn’t Brody.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

I love sport romance novels. Body Check did not disappoint. I would love for this to have been a series. Brody and Hayden are so happy, as long as it's all kept a secret. Of course it doesn't stay a secret for long. Brody is a very loyal person. Not just to Hayden but to his team. I think that is his best quality.

ARC Review for Body Check. Spoilers removed. Full Review is on the site.


As a huge fan of Elle Kennedy’s contemporary hockey romances, it was a delight to discover that "Body Check" was not just her first contemporary romance, but also her first hockey romance—where it all began. Although "Body Check" is currently a standalone, the material is ripe for additional books, even 15 years later! While I’m not certain how the original book fared, this extended version with added content and sporadic rewrites is definitely the Elle Kennedy we know and love!

Hayden was supposed to come to Chicago, support her father, and then return to her simple, easygoing life in California. Instead, she found herself at a bar with her best friend Darcy, looking to scratch an itch that her boyfriend of two months had no intention of addressing. Having asked Doug for a break, Darcy convinces Hayden to “get it out of her system” with a one-night stand, so she can focus on her father and be all the happier (and calmer). Not quite her style, Hayden decides to give in to temptation in the form of a gorgeous gentleman currently playing pool across the room.

Brody was done with casual hookups and one-night stands. As a left-winger for the Warriors, he had his share of puck bunnies and just wanted a woman who could see past the uniform. He had no interest in taking anyone home that night, not until the unexpected goddess approached him at the pool table. She didn’t seem to recognize him, which could easily be faked, but the fact that she swept the floor with him at the pool table was very real! Intrigued and aroused, Brody agrees to join Hayden for a “nightcap.” What he didn’t agree to, as Hayden quickly learns, is to never see her again the morning after. Not realizing the pure determination of a man who always gets what he wants, Hayden gives in to Brody’s relentless pursuit, setting ground rules for their fling that has a clear expiration date. Unfortunately, her heart didn’t get the same memo. As Hayden’s world starts to turn upside down, she has to decide if the life she wants, the future she needs, is more important than the opportunity standing in front of her.

One thing I have always loved about Kennedy’s writing is her ability to make you feel like you are on the ice in one of her hockey stories. This one was no exception. The Warriors were in the playoffs, and each time Brody hit the ice, you were right there! I also love her ability to create the perfect blend in her male protagonists. Brody is the ideal mix of arrogant, confident, romantic, and sweet. His continuous pursuit of Hayden for all the right reasons just makes you fall in love with him even more. When Kennedy dives into the insecurities of Brody and Hayden's past, you find characters you can identify with on an emotional level.

Another thing I admire is Kennedy's artistic way of approaching a spicy scene. She has never shied away from the spice in her books, but what I love most is how she can morph it from just plain raw, animalistic intensity to a sensual, intimate connection as the protagonists begin to fall for each other. You feel the shift and know the moment the heart becomes just as entangled as everything else.

While the budding romance between Hayden and Brody was the overall arc of the story, the subplot of the potential Warrior scandal had a life of its own.

Kennedy also takes a moment to project the perspectives of Brody and Hayden onto secondary characters, giving them just as important a role as the primary ones.

While Brody and Hayden were characters to admire, my favorite character was Darcy! She was the most unapologetic woman who lived her life by her rules. I would love to see how her story pans out. Kennedy set this up perfectly to be a series if she decided to revisit this universe.

Providing an array of emotions from beginning to end, "Body Check" is yet another triumph of Elle Kennedy’s talent. From moments that have you laughing despite yourself to tears you didn’t anticipate, Hayden and Brody’s story will capture you and leave you hoping against hope that this is only the beginning.