Found myself laughing out loud while listening to this very funny well narrated book. The looks I got while walking my dog in the park were also pretty funny! Olivia is not a fan of Christmas or her brothers best friend/pro hockey teammate Aaron. Neither have been very good to her. Aaron has led a seemingly charmed life as an NHL superstar and the only thing he likes better than hockey is getting on Olivia’s last nerve. When they each find themselves in need of a little help, they strike a deal. They’re both smart, snarky, silly, in serious denial, and oh so stubborn n the best way. All of this led to a perfect ending. Wish this was more than a 2 book series.

I’m a sucker for a Christmas story add in hockey players and you have me hooked!

Such a fun listen!

🏒 Holiday Hostilities 🏒

Oh this holiday hockey romance was adorable! It had a little bit of all of my favorite tropes. Katie Bailey brings the Sarah Adams energy to this enemies to lovers, brothers best friend story filled with butterflies and steam.

In a bit of a pickle with a roommate situation, Olivia begrudgingly agrees to moving in with hockey Captain Aaron for the holidays. Aaron’s in a bit of a pickle with a crazed fan situation and barters his living arrangements for a fake dating publicity situation. Did I mention Olivia is a holiday hater and Aaron is going to help her find joy in the season again? SAY LESS.

I adored this sweet and funny holiday hockey romance listen. The narrators were well cast and did a wonderful job bringing the tension to life. I highly recommend the audio for some holiday romance cheer in your ears!

Check this one out for:
🏒 Enemies to lovers
🏒 Forced proximity / roommates
🏒 Fake dating
🏒 Sports / celebrity romance
🏒 Brother’s best friend
🏒 Adorable team / friend antics

Thank you to Dreamscape media for this ALC! My opinions are my own.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the audiobook! 3.75/5 stars

It always feels a bit trite to say, “This was my first book by [author], but it won’t be my last!”—but that really sums up how I feel here. This is a good book: the writing is solid, the story is entertaining, and it strikes the right balance of sweet and sexy without veering into full-on steamy.

That said, I didn’t connect with it on a deeper level. The market is saturated with romcoms, holiday romcoms, and hockey romances, so it takes something really special to stand out. While this one was enjoyable, it didn’t quite have that extra spark. It’s very trope-heavy—fake dating, brother’s best friend, hockey romance, enemies to lovers, second chance. All great tropes, but they felt more like a checklist here than carefully selected elements woven together to create something unique.

Overall, Holiday Hostilities entertained me, and I’m glad I read it. If you’re a hockey romance fan looking for a seasonal read to celebrate Christmas, this is a great option. As for me, I’m looking forward to reading more of Katie Bailey’s backlist!

Audio:
This dual POV story features two narrators—a huge plus in my book. Both delivered solid performances, though I didn’t love either. There wasn’t anything “wrong” with their performances — just personal preference and the kind of voice I wanted to hear for these characters.

This is what I want all holiday books to be. It could be read at Christmas but it could also be read any time of year. It’s a full novel full of sport romance, brother’s best friend, nemesis to lovers, he falls first, forced proximity and so much more!

I’m swooning over here. I could not stop smiling. All the stars.

Olivia has been away from home for years working as a flight attendant. But she’s ready to be closer to her brother and decides to make his home, her new home base. The only problem? With her brother, comes the proximity to his best friend and teammate, Olivia’s nemesis, Aaron.

I accidentally started and finished this audio today. The narrators were wonderful.

And I honestly couldn’t tell you if there was any spice? I’m fairly certain it was closer door with lots of incredible teasing. But it wasn’t something I missed. The book was fantastic without it.

Thank you dreamscape media for the audio!

I received an advanced listening copy of this audiobook. This is my own opinion.

Holiday Hostilities is a cute, Hallmarky holiday hockey romance (say that sentence without getting stuck on the h’s, I dare you). Aaron is a perfect golden retriever oversized hockey boyfriend. Olivia is a cute redhead flight attendant who hates Christmas. It’s no spice, low swearing, but with some steamy kissing. I don’t think I’ve read sports romance like that, so I don’t know who to compare it to, but it’s still cute and fun. I’d recommend if you’re in the market for a cutesy holiday romance with no spice.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the ALC.

Very sweet!! I’m such a sucker for a brother’s best friend, knew each other as kids, he's loved her the whole time etc.. love watching Aaron and Olivia grow together and figure out their feelings after all that time. Thank you to NetGalley for an audio ARC!

Katie Bailey does it again!

I'm a big fan of the Cyclones Christmas series, and book two did not disappoint!

I beta-read this for Katie, and received an ARC from Booked with the Emilys! These are my honest thoughts.

AARON IS MY NEW FAVORITE KATIE BAILEY MAN! I love that he isn't who he seems... I adored the callbacks to other people from the KBU (Katie Bailey Universe), like Aaron going on a date with Holly from The Quit List and getting to see Maddie and Seb so much again in this one! I thought the team and their banter brought so much fun to this story. And... I truly loved Olivia. She was snappy and funny and sensitive and thoughtful.

Aaron and Olivia are enemies-to-lovers in this sorta second-chance romance between brother's best friend/teammate and little sister. They both have their walls up, for various reasons, yet they find themselves in a forced proximity/roommate situation because Olivia's housing situation is horrendous (and funny), and Aaron wants to take care of her.

Read this if you love:
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Redemption from high school
- Roommate nightmares (underwear thief, bagpipes, and one who always needs help with something... lol)
- Forced proximity
- "You're not staying here" -> roommates
- Inside jokes
- Grinch (Olivia, anti-Christmas) and Grinch (Aaron, reserved grumpypants)
- The cutest Christmas date
- Brother's best friend
- Found family
- Professional hockey player x flight attendant
- FAKE DATING because of a PR nightmare
- Professional hockey team shenanigans (so excited to find out who will be next!) ;)
- SUPER thoughtful MMC
- Closed door romance
- It's always been you ~vibes~
- Meddling brothers, Italian grandmas, and Italian mamas

This one should be on everyone's holiday TBR this year! Out November 22nd! :)

EDITING TO ADD: The audiobook is SO FUN. I loved both narrators and thought they brought the fun banter and chemistry to life! The audiobook is out December 17th and is one you should definitely check out!

I liked the two lead characters and the cast of characters in the team and friends and family. But the conflict was a little basic

I absolutely loved this holiday romance! I haven’t had much time to dive into holiday-themed stories lately, but this one was such a treat. From the very beginning, the narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The chemistry between the two was instantly engaging, especially with the "enemies to lovers" theme. It was a bit more one-sided at times, with one character holding a grudge while the other slowly warmed up, but that tension made their interactions even more entertaining.

The forced proximity aspect of the story came across brilliantly, with the narrator perfectly capturing the reluctant closeness and all the little moments that made me smile. The humor in this story really stood out, and the narrator’s delivery had me laughing out loud several times. It wasn’t just funny—it was witty, sharp, and so much fun to listen to.

Listening to this gave me the same feeling as watching a hockey player like Sidney Crosby on the ice. His mix of intensity, skill, and heart makes you feel everything—the passion, the tension, and the moments of joy when everything clicks. The narrator captured those emotions perfectly, from the slow burn to the moments that made me laugh or swoon.

This was the perfect blend of holiday cheer, great chemistry, and plenty of laughs. If you're looking for a fun, feel-good listen with a touch of tension and a lot of heart, I highly recommend it. It definitely made my holiday season brighter!

As the newest Cyclones Christmas title, Holiday Hostilities is Olivia and Aaron's holiday-adjacent love story. It's a little bit enemies-to-lovers, a little bit friends-to-lovers, with a side of brother's best friend and a whole lot of fun! The narrators did a nice job with the dual POV story, and I thought the Christmas vibes were pretty minimal, so this is definitely a book worth reading any time of year. I recommend this book as well as Season's Schemings, the first in the series.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for gifting me with an ALC to review! All opinions are my own.

Katie Bailey for not disappoint again! This adorable Christmas romance was just what I needed. Enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, and hockey romance. All put together for one fantastic story! The narrators of the audiobook were awesome too!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The next installment of the Cyclones hockey team series, Olivia is our FMC, a clumsy, sassy sister to Jake, Cyclones hockey player.

When visiting, she tries to avoid Aaron, also a Cyclones player, who Olivia had a past with in high school. Her plan to avoid him fails when she falls over (literally) into his arms.

Olivia is moving to Atlanta to be closer to her brother, but that means she’s also moving closer to Aaron. Olivia moves into an apartment complex short notice and ends up with random roommates who drive her crazy.

Olivia is not a big Christmas girlie, and she says it’s her least favorite holiday. She remembers fighting, arguing and having to pick what parent to spend holidays with and seeing them move on with new families and their traditions. She appreciates her job of flight attendant to help her escape those holiday woes.

Olivia only sees the negative hard side of Aaron, but she has misjudged him. She gets to know him better when taking him up on the offer to stay with him over the holidays instead of her unhinged roommates who are hosted a 3 day EDM Christmas rave in their apartment.

There was fun banter and spice in this book- brother’s teammate, sports romance, and enemies to lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review !

The thing about me is that I am always in the mood for a Katie Bailey audiobook. This one was another great book with her signature banter, lighthearted characters and swoony romance.

Olivia is a flight attendant who just moved back to Atlanta to be closer to her brother who plays for the Atlanta Cyclones hockey team. One of his teammates is her teenage nemesis Aaron Marino. He's a flirty playboy and she wants nothing to do with him.

I think this book is best read during the fall or winter, but can be read all year long. There is depth and a lot more going on than just a Christmas book.

One of my absolute favorite tropes is in this book but it's about halfway through so I'm not going to say to avoid spoilers.

Both narrators did a great job on the audiobook. It is dual POV with a male and female narrator reading their own chapters, but it is not duet style, which means the male narrator voices all dialogue of any male characters and vice versa. So there is the dreaded "dude is doing a girl voice" situation. But both of them still did a good job and I didn't think twice about it.

Check it out if you are into:
Hockey romance
Closed door
Books set during the holidays
Enemies to lovers
Brother's best friend
Dual POV
Two audiobook narrators

We had cameos from couples from The Quit List and Season's Schemings, both of which I highly recommend. And are we setting up a Dallas and JJJ book for more Atlanta Cyclones players? Yes please.

This was such a fun story, filled with witty banter & so much more.
I absolutely love the chemistry between Aaron & Olivia! All of the banter and snark between them was on point and perfectly executed. I adore Aaron, he is such a sweet guy, he’s a great friend, amazing captain & a good friend.
Olivia is sassy & sweet, she loves her brother, her job & loves to give Aaron hell.
This hate to love, brothers best friend hockey romance was just what I needed! Katie hasn’t disappointed me yet & I am excited for the next book!

Holiday Hostilities is the newest holiday hockey romance from Katie Bailey. I do love me some sports romances and I love dual narrators.

This book had a good brother’s best friend-enemies to lovers-high school crush gone sour. Good banter and tension. Some hot kisses. And sweet family moments.

The audio was very good. It was easy to understand and I had no problems listening at 2.5 speed.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for the alc, all opinions are my own.

I think I’m running out of nice and creative ways to say “PLEASE READ THIS BOOK”. Especially when it comes to Katie Bailey Christmas books. I’m turning into a broken record at this point but the way she writes banter between not only the main characters, but also all the side characters, is my all time favorite! Olivia and Aaron were So. Much. Fun. Oh and the Maddie & Seb cameos in this book made me smile so hard!! I love this fictional hockey team. They feel like the best kind of big loving family and the way they all support each other and show up for each other is so special! Cannot wait for the next book that’s hinted at the end!!! And to reiterate my first point; PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! The audio is 10/10 AMAZING! Narrators did such a great job with bringing their characters to life! I pretty much listened to it in one sitting!

Hi it’s me again with another hockey romance. I would say I’m sorry but I’m not! Thank you to the author, dreamscape media and netgalley for my copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this one. Aaron and Olivia were so much fun. And I loved the found family aspect that the hockey team has. It has some of my favorite tropes and you should read if you like:
🥅hockey romance
✈️brothers best friend
🥅enemies-to-lovers
✈️roommates-to-lovers
🥅all the banter
✈️slow burn/closed door

🎧 Can we talk about Abigail Reno and Lee Samuels as the narrators for this one? They nailed Olivia and Aaron. I couldn’t think of better narrators to capture these two.

This is book 2 in the Cyclones Christmas series. I would recommend reading book 1 first and even The Quit List before reading this one but that’s my opinion. I can’t wait for the world to hear these two!

Olivia hates Christmas after her childhood Christmas’ were not the best and the only thing that she hates more than Christmas is Aaron Marino, her brothers best friend. She thinks that he has been a cocky jerk since high school, but when she has to be his roommate and help him out of a sticky situation, her opinion changes. She agrees to go with him to the hockey teams Christmas gala and bid on the date with him so his stalker Brandi can’t. Preparing for the gala and going with Aaron shows her that he isn’t as bad of a guy as she once thought.

This is number two in the Cyclones Christmas Series and I loved Aaron and Olivia! This book had subtle mentions of Christmas but was not fully Christmas obsessed like others and I felt like it was really the perfect amount. Aaron is such a swoony MMC and I think the drama with his hockey team manager/owner and the stalker was a good addition. Brother’s best friend is one of my favorite tropes and the way that Olivia’s brother reacted was exactly what is expected. Overall, I loved this story so much!!

Hockey + Holidays = a definite read for me. Katie Bailey doesn’t disappoint with this fun enemies to lovers and best friend’s younger sister romance. It had all the perfect sexual tension with lots of banter. Olivia and Aaron shine in this holiday romance and I can’t wait to read or listen to the next one in the series. The audiobook was on point for this novel and kept me engaged. Thanks #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this great audiobook.