4.5 stars.

Gloves Off by Stephanie Archer completely stole my heart — this book deserves to be on everyone’s TBR. It's the perfect blend of humor, heart, and slow-burn tension that keeps you flipping pages with a huge smile on your face. The chemistry? Off the charts. The banter? Top tier. But what really stood out was the emotional depth beneath all the playful moments.

Confession: I have this knack for accidentally diving into interconnected series out of order — and Gloves Off was no exception. I picked it up only to realize halfway through (book 3 out of 5, oops!) that the entire series seems incredible. Now I need to go back and read every single book from the beginning.

Stephanie Archer just gets how to write lovable characters and a romance that feels both swoony and real. She’s quickly becoming one of my go-to authors, and Gloves Off proves exactly why — her books deliver every single time.

If you’re a romance reader who loves enemies to lovers, sports romance, and a main male love interest who falls first and hard, Gloves Off is a must-read. It’s witty, warm, and full of heart — I can’t recommend it enough!

I loved the Alexei and Georgia. The tension, the banter, the HATRED. It was all perfection. This was a true enemies to lovers situation and it couldn't have been any better. And Alexei's mom and her subtle hint dropping to Georgia, I love it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏒Hockey Romance
🏒Marriage of Convenience
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Enemies to Lovers
🏒Age Gap
🏒Grumpy x Sunshine

Alexei is your typical grumpy Russian hockey player on the outside but to his family he would do absolutely anything for them. Including faking a marriage to keep them in the country. But finding someone to willingly fake a marriage is going to be harder than he thought. Mostly because all he cares about is hockey and due to past trauma doesn't want to have a relationship with anyone.

Georgia, is the team physician who also works as a physician at the local hospital. But her biggest passion is helping young injured female soccer players recover safely before they are ready to play at their best. But when the funding for the program gets cut, the only thing she can think to do is use her inheritance money. The only problem is, she only gets it once she gets married. And for Georgia, she doesn't have anyone she could think of to marry on such short notice.

But when they both confide in their friends, they realize the only feasible option would be to fake marry each other. Except, they hate each other. Or do they really? But pulling off a fake marriage won't be as easy as they think, because everyone knows they can't stand each other. And when Alexei starts sending Georgia flowers to keep up with appearances, it only takes his mother a short amount of time to secretly clue Georgia in to what they mean. But as they get more comfortable with each other, they start to see that they had the wrong perception and actually start to develop real feelings. Both are too afraid to voice it, but as the time nears to ending things, neither are ready to let go.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this book early. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I get it now I GET IT!!

To be so honest I really wanted to fight Alexei for maybe the first 25% :,) but his growth was muah perfection. Seriously I loved his arch & growth through the entire book, I understood his hesitation at first just didn’t love how unkind he was at moment so to see him slowly learn the truth & change was great. His grumpy but secretly so caring self was just ugh so cute.

I love Georgia with my whole heart. Sweet little spitfire :,)) She’s determined, sarcastic, and confident. Her journey to accepting love & care & help was also perfection.

I loved THEM. The whole “ew I can’t stand you(but you’re so hot, why do I think that?)” was truly a masterpiece. They had some of the sweetest moments that honestly made me tear up. Bullying with love is also a love language of mine so :) I felt very seen here. Gives off “stop being so mean to me, or I swear to god I’m gonna fall in love with you!”

THE FRIEND GROUP plus Tate !!!!! Love seeing my babies in these books & their lives & how they all interact & all love each other.

Anyway this a top tier series for me, Stephanie can do no wrong :)

Thank you to Random House Publishing Ballantine & NetGalley for an eARC! Review & opinions are honest and my own!

Gloves off is an "enemies" to lovers, marriage of convenience, plethora of verbal sparring and sexual tension. The chokehold that Alexei and Georgia's relationship had on me.... I couldn't read fast enough to find out what came next. I loved that we were able to see the deeper meanings behind their actions (the flowers - swoon!) and see that there was always more than meets the eye between their jabs and verbal sparring. I loved the dual point of view, forced proximity, his family, and the strong female characters! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

🌟 Gloves Off – 5★ Review

Stephanie Archer nails it again with this enemies‑to‑lovers, marriage‑of‑convenience hockey romance that hits all the right notes. Georgia (team doctor) and Alexei (broody NHL enforcer) agree to marry, only to discover a burning chemistry beneath their icy banter.

Slow-burn: Their verbal sparring blasts off, and their connection sizzles beneath the surface until it can’t be ignored

Grumpy‑sunshine vibes: The stubborn pair are perfect together, and the dual POV allows you to live their transformation from hate to love

Fun, spicy, addictive: The heat level is just right and the story is the perfect blend of hockey action, workplace dynamics, and real feelings

If you’re craving witty banter, slow-burning heat, and genuine emotional payoff all wrapped in a hockey‑romance you’ll devour this. Archer delivers a perfectly paced, hilarious, heartfelt romp that checks all the boxes.


#HockeyRomance #EnemiesToLovers #MarriageOfConvenience #GrumpyVsSunshine #SlowBurn #SpicyRomCom #StephanieArcher

Thank you Netgalley and to Dell Publishing for providing me with this amazing ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Omggg I ate it up. When I got this ARC I didn't even realize there were 3 books before it, but I love Hockey romance so obvs I had to read them. Well, I loveddd the other books but this one was by far my favorite. I love how the story started off with them both hating each other, but basically for the wrong reasons. They assumed wrong things about each other leading to their hate. Their bickering, his personality, the way he is grumpy and mean on outside but sweetheart on inside ahh. Alexei and Georgia will have my heart forever.
If you love enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience...this one is *chef's kiss*. This book definitely won't let you down, and make sure you read the others leading up to it as well.

Hockey, check
Enemy to Lovers, check
Banter, check

I've read several of the Vancouver Storm books by Stephanie Archer and enjoyed them all. Her writing is great so all the books are just as good as the one before it!

Georgia and Alexei are easy to fall in love with! The chemistry is off the charts and the tension builds deliciously. A great mix of spice and story, and just enough hockey. A perfect summer read to pass the time until hockey season starts again!

This is my first read of the series and oh my gosh! 😍 I will say the enemies portion was a bit long for my taste but when they became lovers, oh my. I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely adored Alexei and the way he loved Georgia. I also loved getting to see the soft side of Alexei.


Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for this ARC!

Gloves off is a cute little "enemies" to lovers. A marriage of convenience between the two people who can't even be in an elevator together without some verbal sparring? Sign me up. This book is fun and has that kind of emotional gravity that just pulls you in until you can't stop flipping through the pages.

Alexei Volkov is sweet, thoughtful, and knows exactly how to get under Georgia's skin. I think what makes this book so gravitating is just how sweet the characters are deep down. Obviously they have to crack through the ice (this is a hockey romance after all), but once they get there it is oh so sweet. Alexei is the type of man to buy flowers and be thoughtful when selecting gift. Georgia is the type of girl to work two jobs and volunteer with rehabilitating teens, just because she can. They complement each other so well, and I love that we get to see both sides with the dual pov. This book is for you if you like grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, age gaps, hockey, and my wife moments.

After the first two books in this series were meh and I totally skipped the third, I wasn't super eager to pick this one up. But I'm so glad I did. From the first page, I was hooked on this hockey romance!

Georgia is the team doctor for the Vancouver Storm hockey team. Alexei is the veteran defenseman. These two do not like each other and assume a lot of incorrect things about the other person. When unique situations arise, they decide to get married to get what they both need. Being around each other brings truths to light and feelings develop, but can they make this marriage last forever?

This was so cute and super readable. I adore a book that makes me stay up way too late! Will it change your life? Not really, but it is such a fun experience. I loved these two so much. They are both stubborn, and it was interesting to watch them have to grapple with the fact that sometimes things aren't what they seem. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved the extended cast and I can't wait for Jordan and Tate's book next. I also may need to go back and read Hayden and Darcy's friends-to-lovers story since this one was such a hit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This push and pull hockey romance was definitely a reading highlight for June. Not only did it check so many of my boxes with the snarky banter and off the chart spice, but it really brought me back to my OG love of hockey romance.

Alexei and Georgia really are end game. I love how truly obsessed with her he is, especially with the heels and the FLOWERS?! I’m going to research flower meanings now every time I get them. I think that the marriage of convenience worked perfectly for their story line, as I really didn’t see them getting together any other way based off of how much they acted like they hated each other. It made for the best “my wife” moments. This book had the perfect mix of emotion and tension, and I can’t wait for Coach Ward’s love story next!

🏒 professional hockey player x team doctor
👠 marriage of convenience
🩺 enemies-to-lovers
🐰 hockey romance
🥅 he knows flowers
💐 he’s obsessed with her

Gloves Off is the fourth book in the Vancouver Storm series. It follows Alexei and Georgia. I absolutely loved this book!

Alexei is grumpy, protective, funny, determined, and a total caretaker. I love that underneath his gruff exterior is a total sweetheart who gets Georgia flowers with meaning behind them and loves taking care of her. Georgia is feisty, funny, caring, thoughtful, used to being in control and independent. She cares more for Alexei than she lets on and also worries more about others than herself. She is willing to give some control over to Alexei which had to have been hard for her.

Georgia has two bunnies and I loved that Alexei called them “a giant ball of dryer lint” at one point in the story. I died of laughter. The banter between these characters was hilarious and the sexual tension was palpable. They both had a strong “dislike” for each other due to misunderstandings but as time went on they were able to admit their true feelings for one another. I love that they were eventually able to feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable with each other. I truly loved their journey.

You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Hockey player x doctor
- Age gap
- Marriage of (in)convenience
- Dislike to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Lots of banter

Thank you so much, Stephanie Archer, Dell, and Random House Ballantine for the gifted copy!

Absolutely LOVED this! Marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, sport romance, age gap, forced proximity, and banter out of this world.
The two main characters are amazing individually, but together they shine. I love the banter that they have, but you can tell that they really believe what they are dishing out. Each MC has different ideas about the other that are so wrong. The first impressions they have make of one another could not be further from the truth, and watching them unravel them and discover each other is heart warming. Their relationship starts out as one of necessity, but turns to one of willingness. It takes a lot of the book for them to learn each other, which I liked.
There have been so many books that they just fall in love from the get go because that is what's expected. I love that it's slow, gives you more time to love the characters. I loved everything about this books, and cannot hype it up enough! As always, Stephanie Archer knocks it out of the park. I can't wait for the next Vancouver Storm book!!

This was my first Stephanie Archer book and I loved the banter. This was a great enemies-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience, and sports romance all wrapped up in one. The chemistry between the two characters was great. It was a quick and enjoyable read.

I devoured this book! Stephanie Archer never misses, and Gloves Off might just be my favorite yet. It's got everything I love in a rom-com: sizzling banter, enemies-to-lovers tension, and characters with real heart. The chemistry between the leads? Electric. I found myself grinning, swooning, and even laughing out loud at some of the dialogue (and those training scenes—whew!).

If you’re into fierce heroines, charming but slightly infuriating love interests, and stories that punch you right in the feels while making you smile, this one’s for you. Total feel-good read with just the right amount of spice. 👏📚

Absolutely devoured! This was everything I love in a fake marriage romance - funny, steamy, and delivering all the tension.

Alexei Volkov thought Georgia Greene was just a spoiled, rich princess he agreed to marry for a green card - but he quickly learns she’s anything but. She’s sharp, independent, and totally unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the grumpiest man in the NHL. And watching him fall for her (while pretending not to) was pure delight 👌🏼

Their fake marriage is full of fiery banter, simmering tension, and unexpected tenderness. Alexei is possessive, protective, and so soft under that surly exterior - cooking, sending secret-message flowers, calling her his wife like he means it. Georgia holds her own the whole way through, and the slow shift from enemies to something real had me hooked. I adored every second of this story!

Stephanie Archer always has solid hockey romances! While it wasn’t a top read for me I still enjoyed it! It had all the great makings of a good hockey romance and I will always read those. While nothing in particular stood out it did not disappoint hitting the hockey spot!😉

I LOVED this book. I've jumped around in this series and haven't read all of them and I appreciate that they can be standalones! With this one, I haven't read a true dislike to lovers in so long, to the point I actually would call this enemies to lovers even though I know that's out of fashion for cont romance. This author balances that fine line of saying the wrong or purposefully hurtful things without going too far into cruelty or immaturity. AND it's equally balanced. These two characters both have humility and understanding to learn and I just eat all those realizations up. And that's the major benefit of dual POV. We know each one regrets taking things too far and are both shaken up at maybe being WRONG about the other person.

I love a grumpy marriage of convenience and watching them fall in love. Their chemistry was everythinggg. Also love to see a woman in power in the sports industry, loved all the aspects of the FMC as a sports medicine doctor.

The spice is very fire. This author feels super safe to me because she uses inclusive language, during spicy times and otherwise. I know it doesn't seem like much for an MMC to reference boys possibly liking girls *and* boys but in the hockey world it's a lot. I wish I could give more examples but my review will get flagged, basically the characters acknowledge that spice is spice even without PIV.

Thank you Dell and Random House Ballantine for the eARC! Looking forward to reading the others in this series.

My FAVORITE in the Vancouver Storm series, and that's saying something because I absolutely loved Behind the Net and The Fake Off. Georgia and Alexei were everything! Their banter, the TENSION, the humor? The relationship worked so well. Also major kudos to Stephanie Archer (as always) for not writing a pointless third act breakup. Love her so much for that lol.

I loved both Georgia and Alexei together and as individual characters. They were perfect complements—they had similar fire and tempers, but Georgia was the outgoing to his grumpy. And the element of her as one of the hockey team's doctors added so much fun. I also loved Alexei's personal subplot of coming to terms with his impending retirement and reaching a crossroads personally and professionally. And the mentoring Luca plot line was fantastic.

I also felt like the marriage of convenience situation was natural to the story. I am often not the biggest fan of the marriage of convenience trope because it sometimes feels too forced, but that wasn't at all the case here. I loved the build-up of Georgia and Alexei's relationship. I liked how the author went with a slower burn to ramp up the tension and their chemistry. And therefore, the spice HIT. Alexei Volkov is so fine lol. He was GONE for Georgia. And I adored the flower symbolism, and the way they teased each other was hilarious. Not him thinking her bunnies were her boyfriends. I'm so excited for Coach Ward's book!

Thank you so much to Dell Romance for an ARC of Gloves Off. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)