3 🌟 | "𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴."

One thing about me as a reader: I love seasonal book series where different authors get together to create a small town and interwoven stories. It's the best way to get to know new closed door authors and to fall in love with a fun cast of characters.

This book is a second chance, "the one who got away" type of romance. It takes place in a cozy small town called Maple Falls and has the most unique cast of characters. This book has the coziest fall vibes and it's perfect for those who miss Stars Hollow.

It feels like the relationship is not developed enough. We know they are exes and this is a second chance. But we do not get a glance at their previous relationship and neither how their feelings develop. There is only the description of how they always loved each other and wished they had never broken up, even though the breakup was necessary for them to grow as individuals.

A few times the dialog did not feel believable - the character had the longest lines, always putting a lot of information when only a simple answer was needed. I understand the author used this strategy to give the reader a better overview of the story, but that made the dialog feel kind of dragged. Also, it was quite annoying how Dan kept referring to Kiera - as his "high school girl". I know some people find it romantic, I just find it annoying. Just say girlfriend like a normal person.

All this aside, The Rebound Play - as well as the other books in this series - is the perfect book for those looking for a cozy fall read.

3.5 rounded down to 3

A short fun story of second chances in a small town.

Dan and Keira broke up when he left for college. Years later, he's in the NHL and she's still in their small town. When a charity game brings him home and to the rink where her niece and nephew skate, the two of them are forced to admit that the other is the one they never should have let get away.

Read if you like:
-Second Chance Romance
-Small Town
-Sweet not Spicy
-The One that Got Away

I really liked this story. It was refreshing because although it was second chance, it was clear that there was no ill-will. Yes, there was regret, but it was clear that they did not blame the other person or hold a grudge. And it was sweet how much Dan cared for Keira's family.

2.5-3/5 stars!

This was a fun second-chance romance between high school sweethearts now living their exciting adult lives. Having returned to Maple Falls after college to care for her sister, niece, and nephew, Keira has tried to avoid most things Dan Roberts-related for the last ten years. But after an injury benched him from preseason games, he's back in Maple Falls for a few weeks playing for the Ice Breakers, a charity hockey team raising money for the local ranch. In the small town of Maple Falls, these two are bound to cross paths and rekindle what they had in high school.

Overall, this book was ok. There wasn't really any playing hard to get and the plot wasn't really exciting. It was sort of instant love, which I understand they were high school sweethearts, but when you haven't seen or talked to someone for ten years, I think it was a bit much for them to go on one date and tell each other they loved each other at the end of it. I liked the idea of this second-chance romance, but I didn't like the execution I guess despite there being a couple of really cute moments. In summary, I think if you're looking for a quick beach read, this could be a good one but don't expect too much. I don't think I'll be reading any more of the series, but it was decent.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I liked this book, it was very cute and adorable.
Dan was a man in love and I loved to see that. He wanted her and he would do anything to be with her, no matter what it was.
Keira still loved him too but was afraid of him leaving again. They were young and their lives took them in diferent paths. But fate always had a plan for us and it definitely did for them.
They were good together and I liked them. I just wish that Keira had a little more faith in him and their love and talked to him instead of just assuming things. He made a big career decision and she didn't blink an eye. I didn't like that. That she basically assumed that he would be the one making the sacrifices. That's not how relationships work. But alas, maybe that's me.
Overall, it was a good book

A sweet romance about getting a second chance at love!
Kiki and Dan were high school sweethearts who only broke up because he was headed to Yale to play hockey. It’s been ten years since they’ve spent any time together but when they get together again, it’s like no time has passed at all. At least until she becomes a little insecure….
I enjoyed this one and thought it was well written.

The Rebound Play is a fairly quick, clean, second chance romance. It follows the rekindling romance between Dan and Keira. I liked both characters, but this story and the book in general just didn’t do it for me. I wish I could put my finger on exactly what the issue is, but I cannot. I will say that I will always sign up to a newsletter to get another epilogue to a book, but this is the first time I decided I didn’t care about what happened next. Just a 3 star read for me. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I LOVED every second of this book. The moment it was over I immediately added the rest of the series to my TBR list. I can’t wait to read them!

In this story we follow FMC Keira (Kiki) and MMC Dan. They were high school sweethearts but when they went to different colleges they amicably broke up. Fast forward ten years and Dan is a star hockey player in Chicago and Kiki is working at the farmers market in her hometown. When a small injury gives him the opportunity to head back to his hometown for a charity event, he knows this is his moment to rekindle his love with Kiki.

While this is a short novel and surface level, I loved the characters, plot, and writing style.

The characters tugged at your heart strings and made you want to know more about each of them (side characters included).

The plot was easy to follow and a standard second chance romance/ hockey romance cliche, but who cares! It contained all the love and heartbreak is romance readers love, so I was game the whole time.

I was in a reading slump before this book, and I’m completely cured! If you want a book that is easy to read, pick this one up on August 29.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Grab some hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and cozy up for this sweet read!

"This could be our rebound play, and I’m not going to let her slip through my fingers."

This second book is a sweet second-chance romance for high school sweethearts, Dan and Keira. When Dan left for college and on to the NHL, he and Keira decided to leave their relationship behind. But they were always the ones who got away, so when Dan shows back up in Maple Falls for a charity hockey tournament, he is determined that hockey isn't the only thing he is going to win at.

"We might have lost the game, but I’ve won back the person who’s been missing from my world for what feels like a lifetime."

I adore a second chance when both know they really want to be together! With the addition of the small town vibes, Dan and Keira get a lot of extra support from people they've known their whole lives. Their "re-meet cute" and their first date are some of the most adorable moments I've read in a second chance romcom! Their chemistry is extra special with the shared history, making this second book in the series another big winner.

This was a sweet, short read good for fans of clean hockey romances. No spice!
The characters were really cute and sweet towards each other.
If you’re in the mood for a quick easy sweet read, this is a great book.

I would have liked more antagonistic things happening, maybe Keira hates him for some reason and he has to win her over, or there’s something in the way that they have to overcome rather than just romancing their way back to each other.
It was slightly cringey as well at times.

A nice lil read!

Es una lastima que sea tan corto ya que con pocas hojas es difícil desarrollar la historia.

En teoría tiene todo lo que me gusta: jugador de hockey, segundas oportunidades y puertas cerradas, pero como dije antes, todo se dió rápido y no llegué a disfrutar al 100%.


Me hubiera gustado saber más sobre lo que hizo Keira en el tiempo que estuvieron separados.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the a

The Rebound Play by Kate O'Keefe was a sweet and fun second chance romance.

After professional hockey star Dan is injured and out for a few months, he is given the chance by a former teammate to come back to his hometown to participate in a charity game. Once home, he sees the girl he left behind, Keira, and is determined to win her back.

The story of Dan and Keira was joyous and their attraction to each other (STILL) had me from their initial reunion.

I loved reading about them finding their way back to each other and to them finally getting their happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I loved the whole town of Maple Falls so much. Everyone was connected or knew each other and it was so fun! It was such a quick and sweet hockey romcom and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can’t wait to read the rest of them in the series!

A huge thank you to Wild Lime Books for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Super quick and easy read. I love hockey romance and this book fit right into it! I love the small town, second chance romance. Dan is a NHL player returning home and runs into Kiera. Dan was very much not feeding into “puck bunny” behavior and I loved that. Overall I loved their relationship and loved the writing .

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Lime Books for an advanced copy of The Rebound Play.

Keira has her hands full with her job, helping to care for her sister Clara, and running her niece and nephew around to different activities but she takes it all in stride. Until her famous and attractive NHL star ex boyfriend Dan comes back to town and throws her life upside down. They were high school sweethearts and both secretly still in love with one another. Will they get a second chance at love?

I liked this book it was a cute second chance at love romance but it was a little predictable.

The Rebound Play: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Keira and Dan were high school sweethearts who called it quits when Dan left for college. Keira, aka Kiki, has been back in their small town of Maple Falls for awhile now, helping her sister, but she never forgot her first love, Dan. When Dan has a chance to come back to Maple Falls for a small hockey tournament for charity, he jumps at the chance, especially as he wants Keira back. But Keira is a little hesitant to try their relationship again, especially when Dan has a firm date for when he leaves. Dan on the other hand knows that Keira is his forever, so he does everything in his power to help Keira make the right decision, to choose them.

This was such a cute second chance romance. I laughed out loud at all the ways that Kiki successfully avoided Dan whenever he came back to Maple Falls for his quick trips, and especially her epic fails once Dan is back for an extended visit. Dan was a little too cocky for me at the beginning, but Kiki helped soften his slightly rough edges. I’m loving watching the world building between the different books in this series, and the map at the beginning really helped keep the placement of everything straight in my head, but I’m probably going to have to make a map of characters and how they are all connected, especially over the rest of the series. I highly recommend this new hockey sweet romance series!

This book was fun in a lot of ways. It had the small town charm and the plot and characters were fun. For me it just got boring and too predicable. I felt like I wasn’t very invested in their relationship. I also did not enjoy the one-dimensional “puck bunnies,” they were used as a way to hate women and pit women against each other unnecessarily.