Elle Kennedy’s Body Check is one of the best books I’ve read with the one night stand trope. There’s that satisfying initial jolt of lust at first sight, plus a great trope inversion where readers see the male main character wanting more and the female main character wanting less.

Brody and Hayden light the pages on fire with their chemistry. And, even though I wanted to hit Hayden upside the head a few times, her reactions felt true to her character and didn’t feel manufactured for added conflict. As for Brody… well, let’s just say Kennedy understood the assignment when she created him. Yes, please.

This updated version of the text is more fully sketched and expanded, but maintains all of the steamy satisfaction of a Harlequin Blaze title. (But seriously, let’s bring those back, please and thank you.)

It’s evident that even from her earliest books Kennedy is a great world builder and knows how to set a scene. And hockey romance is definitely where she reigns supreme. I thoroughly enjoyed Body Check and think readers are going to love it even more this time around.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

On a much-needed break from her current love interest, Hayden finds herself drawn to the vibrant nightlife of the city, craving the kind of excitement that only a pulsating bar scene can offer. Little does she know that this night will be anything but ordinary, for it's here that she encounters Brody - a hockey star whose magnetic presence commands attention from across the room.

Brody Croft is no stranger to the adoration of women, but beneath the surface, he longs for something more than fleeting encounters and shallow connections. From the moment he lays eyes on Hayden, he senses a kindred spirit, a woman who ignites a fire within him that he thought long extinguished.

Their chemistry is undeniable, their attraction electric, and before they know it, they're swept up in a whirlwind romance that neither saw coming. But as their relationship deepens, they find themselves thrust into a world of unexpected complications - from one-night stands turned flings, to bribery scandals and criminal investigations.

Through it all, Hayden and Brody must navigate the choppy waters of love and loyalty, grappling with their own insecurities and fears. But amidst the chaos, they discover something beautiful - a love that defies all odds, that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

Elle Kennedy's masterful storytelling weaves a tale of passion, intrigue, and undeniable desire. Brody's alpha charm and Hayden's feisty spirit make for a captivating duo, their journey filled with steamy encounters and tender moments of vulnerability.

For fans of contemporary romance, this book is a delicious treat for the senses - a rollercoaster ride of emotions that will leave you breathless and yearning for more. So grab a glass of wine, settle into your favorite reading nook, and prepare to be swept away on a whirlwind adventure of love, lust, and everything in between.

Thank you to NetGalley and Elle Kennedy for an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating :4/5 Stars

This was such a fun, easy read! (As is all of Elle Kennedy’s books!) It kept me entertained the whole time and very easy to binge.

I love Elle Kennedy and her hockey romance books! They really are the best combination of sports romance, drama, and spice fit together to make a great story! This book was no exception when Hayden meets Brody. She was only looking for a one night thing but it ends up being more. I couldn't put this book down! If you like hockey romances or the guy falls first this book is for you! Definitely recommend for a quick, easy spicy romance!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and Harlequin Romance for allowing me to review this ARC!

Beautiful art professor meets hot hockey player for a one night stand, little does she know that he has more than a one night stand in mind.

Hayden is visiting her dad, who is going through a divorce and some rumors of bribery going around. She needs to just have sex, since her boyfriend back home won't cross that line with her. He's just not ready, but that doesn't take away her needs. She decides to just have a hot one night stand. She spots her target and goes for it. Only things don't go as planned.

Super hot romance. Great story.

Elle Kennedy is the undisputed queen of hockey romance.

This was a bit different from what I am used to from Elle Kennedy but I really enjoyed that it's a quick and easy hockey romance to read over the weekend. Hayden has returned to Chicago and is an art history professor and hooks up with Brody, a professional hockey player for a one night stand that turns into something more but she doesn't like hockey players due to her father. This is a fast, light, and fun sports romance with opposites attract. It's steamy, sweet, fun, he's a total a[pha but he's sweet and caring and wants her more than just one night. I love the trope where the playboy reforms for a girl and does anything to deserve her. Overall, a quick, steamy hockey romance that Elle Kennedy fans will love and enjoy!

Once again Elle Kennedy doesn't disappoint and writes a really good hockey romance. I have heard of this book before but I never wanted to read it due to the fact that the original covers remind me of the Magic Mike movies. The cartoon cover is so much more tolerable and appealing.

This re-released book hits all the points. It is romantic, spicy, and who doesn't love a hockey romance. Elle Kennedy fans can rejoice with this book as she never fails to write a great romantic pairing. I breezed through this book and loved that it was outside of her normal university shell. Great read.

Body Check by Elle Kennedy is a spicy hockey romance. In Body Check we meet Hayden and Brody. Hayden is an art history professor at Berkeley and Brody is a hot NHL hockey star. Hayden’s intention is to have a one night stand with Brody, who she meets at a bar and has no idea he is a NHL star. Hayden thinks she will ever see Brody again until she runs into him while visiting her dad who is the owner of the NFL team that Brody plays on. Brody wants more than a one night stand or fling from Hayden but Hayden tries hard to keep Brody in the fling zone.

I felt their connection and really enjoyed the plot of the book. I was so curious about who was involved in the scandal on the team and if it was lies or not. I read it in a day because I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the characters and was really rooting for Hayden and Brody. I wish the story was done in dual POV, but I still really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

I am a fan of Elle Kennedy and have read all of the Off campus series. If you are a hockey romance lover then Elle Kennedy should be one of your go to authors. I am forever in my hockey romance era, so I was so excited to be approved to read this book. This book will be published on July 2nd, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin-Romance for voluntarily letting me read this book and give my honest review! 4.5 stars!

I feel like, at this point in my life, Elle Kennedy is my fallback guy. She's an author that I can always rely on for a meaty romance that has a thorough plot, a heavy serving of spice, and so much feeling.
Body Check is a reprint, but it was one I hadn't read yet. I enjoyed the building relationship between Hadley and Brody, watching them overcome their own emotions while dealing with the chaos surrounding them.

Thank you so much to @harlequinbooks and @ellekennedy33 for an ARC of the long form release of Body Check!
As a Hockey Romance Girlie this hit the sweet spot _ loved getting to watch Brody and Hayden fall in love while dealing with real life struggles. I can't wait for everyone to be able to meet these two and love them as much as I do!! Publishing date is set for July 2! #amreading #hockeyromance #hockeygirl #bookstagram #booktok #readers #bookgirlies

I love Elle Kennedy's books, and was excited to get an ARC of the enhanced version of this book. This was a very quick read. It's got all the things: sports romance, steamy scenes, and a good plot. It was easy to root for Hayden and Brody. It was cute to see Brody chase after Hayden while also not being so pushy that it would have been creepy/desperate. I understood Hayden's concerns about being in a relationship with a hockey player, but I guess that kind of went out the window in the end. The epilogue has a nice flash forward that wraps everything up nicely.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m never gonna turn down a fun sports romance. Honestly these types of books are my happy place. Cozy and mostly low-stakes….they warm my heart. I have to say this one did have a pretty good side story to go along with the romance that definitely surprised me. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Body check
By: Elle Kennedy

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Could it be more?

In another great RomCom from a great author we get hockey romance and a little bit of faith in the good guy still out there. Hayden Houston and hockey player Brody Croft. These two start as one night and if he has his way so much more. The authors writing is flawless and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shockingly intimate I have become a huge fan of this author. The author writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some are quick witted story lines are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

Authors Blurb: After a childhood spent being dragged around the country by her hockey coach father, Hayden Houston intends to take some time to figure out her future. Whether that future will include her currently off-again boyfriend remains to be seen. What it certainly won’t include is the for-one-night-only guy she just met at a bar.   

It seems hockey star Brody Croft did not get the memo about being temporary. Big, bold and driven, he’s dedicated in everything he does. Up till now, that’s been his team—the one owned by Hayden’s dad. But his night with Hayden has sparked something he didn’t expect. The two of them are good together. Really good. There’s a connection he’s never experienced before, one he knows they’d be wrong to ignore. Even with a game-fixing scandal testing both their loyalties to teammates, to friends…to family. 

Part of Hayden wants to turn tail and run. A complicated relationship with a bad boy hockey player is exactly what she never wanted. But when it comes to Brody, Hayden is realizing that people can be so much more than what they seem.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in single POV this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE, does a hockey romance like Elle Kennedy. She never disappoints. Her characters are funny, witty, and relatable every time. I am sure no one is surprised that this is another certified classic.

If you're looking for a smutty hockey romance, this fits the bill!

It stays smutty pretty much from the jump, also explores complex father/daughter relationships

Hayden is a daughter of hockey coach. She has a one night stand with hockey star Brody and it turns out that he is in her dad's team.

I love Hayden and Brody. Lots of fun, terrific banter. Love the sexiness too. It's fast paced and things resolved quickly and happily.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I was in the mood for a really short, hot sports romance, and this one filled the bill perfectly. I had forgotten how hot the Harlequin Blaze books can get, because at times this one bordered on the erotic. It was a pretty steamy read about an Art History professor (Hayden) looking for a 'fling' to spice up her stale love life before she settled down with Mr. Safe and Boring, and a sexy, formerly bad boy hockey star (Brody) who was tired of a life of 'flings' and was now looking for something more fulfilling.

Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for the eARC of Body Check by @ellekennedy33 in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 A flirty encounter with a handsome stranger, Brody, turns into a steamy nightcap for Hayden. Hayden is pretty focused on her career and is not looking for more than a one-night stand but the attraction with Brody is hard to deny. Brody is all in, “ a sexy professor who hated sports and set his body in fires? Talk about his dream girl.” Though she swears off dating a hockey player, sometimes we find a match where we least expect it. I am a firm believer in this statement and loved watching Hayden and Brody’s relationship evolve. This is my first Elle Kennedy book and it was a pretty cool experience to take it back with her to her first book. Overall, a super fun hockey romance that is smile-worthy!

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram well ahead of the publication date!

I really liked Hayden & Brody both, which I think is an amazing feat; generally in these types of romances I find one or the other to be likeable and well fleshed out, but Kennedy manages to write both an interesting Hero and Heroine. I especially enjoyed Hayden's storyline with her dad and stepmother, which managed to avoid many of the tropes I expected. And I like that the story resolved with characters experiencing realistic consequences, without totally villainizing them.

Well-developed characters and plot, and plenty of steam. Four strong stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*