An absolute DELIGHT. The chemistry jumped off the page, with feuding that was really foreplay, bickering that felt more like banter, and characters who revealed different sides of themselves one layer at a time. I love a good marriage of convenience romance, and this was the best kind - complete with a hero who was smitten with his wife before he even knew what was happening. The spice was smokin’, but I adored the fact that they built such a strong emotional connection as well, breaking down walls and getting to know each other in a truly meaningful way. The evolution of their relationship showcases the strength and complexity of the writing, and I was fully engaged the entire time. This is one I won’t forget anytime soon. I loved it!

The story follows Alexei, an aging hockey player who is one injury away from retirement and quite possibly deportation. He’s been pushing through pain and injuries for years, but the situation is starting to feel precarious. So when Alexei discovers that the woman he loves to hate - the bane of his existence - is in need of a temporary husband in order to receive an inheritance, a brief marriage seems like the obvious answer. Alexei and Georgia loathe each other, so there is no chance of feelings getting involved, and they both have something to gain from the arrangement. But moving in together as man and wife reveals some serious flaws in the plan. They’ve never spent any time together, and much of their hatred is rooted in assumptions during brief interactions. As Alexei gets to know Georgia better, he soon realizes he’s in over his head.

I’ve been meaning to try out Archer’s work for a while now and this blurb had me intrigued, so I dove into this with high hopes and zero expectations. It wasted no time hooking me in, and I soon found myself bingeing it at an alarming rate. Alexei and Georgia are FIRE together, both hard-headed and determined. They truly did feel hate for each other, which took its time before slowly simmering into love. They were frustrated with the way they were drawn together, and that ramped up the tension and made the spice hot AF. Somewhere along the way, Alexei fell HARD for his wife, leading to SO MANY swoonworthy moments. The story put me through my paces emotionally and kept me turning the pages. I’m definitely going to have to check out the rest of the series now - the stories are clearly better together, but this was an absolute win on its own. So, so good.

Fake marriage, grumpy-alpha male hotness right here! Hate to love story…and he’s definitely possessive. 🔥 Hockey romance too. Read it, you won’t regret it.

I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Volkov & Georgia were so cute. I loved that their love language (like in every other book) was picking fights & bickering 🤣 I think Stephanie did a great job of showing their more personal sides though. Truly showing how compatible they really were. The unexpected friendships 👀 the bunnies 😍

There were so many little pieces that made this story beautiful. As usual our past besties made their appearances & that is truly one of my favorite things when it comes to book series. I’m really hoping we get more books. I’m FERAL with need for a Daddy Ward & Jordan book 🫠🥵

Favorite in the series. By far. I love Alexei and his broody grumpy vibe, Georgia’s lady balls and self love, their parents and friends, but mostly I love their chemistry and how their love story unfolds. *Plot spoiler* I am also obsessed with the fact that there was no third act breakup - I was ready for the demise of the “fake” marriage and was pleasantly surprised that it never came! 10/10. Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine, and Stephanie Archer for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

This book was everything I love in a hockey romance. It had characters I loved, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and great spice. I actually have not read the other books in this series and now I can’t wait to after reading this one. Definitely one of my favorite hockey romances I’ve read. The story was great and the banter between characters was also so good. Thank you NetGalley and the author for the early copy.

This is a marriage of convenience story that will keep you up all night reading because the writing is that addictive!

Alexei Volkov needs citizenship. Dr. Georgia Greene needs her inheritance. These two coworkers can’t stand each other but they will need to get married so that they can get what they want. This starts off as a fake marriage but will it stay that way?

These two have my heart and I hope everyone will fall in love with them like I did!

ahhh I loved this so much. The banter was great and didn't stop even when they stopped “hating” each other and their love felt so pure I felt it in my soul. You could tell they cared so deeply for each other and the oh crap everyone around us knows its so perfect and their own realizations that they were perfect was masterfully done. I thought her work stuff was really interesting and they had arguments that they worked through and it made their relationship seem so realistic and like it would really last. I love a book where the couple is always challenging each other and this was chefs kiss.

I loved it!

Volkov and Greene are my favourite couple in this series so far.

The way they grow together. Chef’s kiss

I just love them, love everything about this book

Can’t wait to see Volkov evolve in the other book…

Everyone needs to be reading Stephanie Archer, this whole hockey series, but specifically this one. This is her best work and I am giddy thinking about the next book about Coach. The hero here is just the most amazing type of broody, determined man who loves to spoil his women and if you love spoiling then you need to read this series.

absolutely obsessed. gloves off completely devoured me in the best way possible. i went in excited for enemies to lovers + marriage of convenience (aka the holy grail of tropes) and came out with my heart in a puddle, my cheeks sore from smiling, and my soul permanently attached to georgia and alexei.

the banter? iconic. the tension? literally sizzling. the emotional depth that sneaks up on you mid-swoon? devastatingly good. stephanie archer just gets it. she knows exactly how to make you laugh, ache, blush, and then suddenly you’re clutching your chest because the feelings hit out of nowhere. the slow burn is perfectly painful—like you want to scream “just kiss already!” every ten pages, but you also never want it to end.

georgia is sunshine and chaos with the best fashion sense ever, and alexei is pure grumpy walls-up hotness with a secret soft side that made me melt. their dynamic is electric—snarky pranks, emotional landmines, and chemistry that could melt the entire rink. and don’t even get me started on the language of flowers. like, sir. please. my standards are now ruined.

i loved that their relationship stayed playful and teasing even after the feelings hit. the fake marriage never stopped being fun, but watching it evolve into something real was so satisfying. their growth—as individuals and as partners—was written so beautifully. stephanie archer really knows how to write a romance that feels.

also, bunnies named damon and stefan?? elite.

this book had me giggling, kicking my feet, and re-reading my favorite scenes the second i finished. easily a new comfort read. i’m never shutting up about this series. stephanie archer, thank you for ruining me (in the best way). 5/5 stars, no notes.

thank you to netgalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Georgia is an NHL doctor, and Alexei is an NHL player. Both can not stand each other. BUT each need each other to get what they want. Georgia, her inheritance, and Alexei need citizenship, so they marry for convenience. How could this end?

Perfect addition to the series! Love a pseudo-enemies to lovers and the miscommunication was the perfect amount. Their connection growing as the impressions they had of one another evolved felt real and earned.

4.5 stars* GOD I LOVED THIS i literally love all of stephanie's books but this was outstanding - it had some of my favorite tropes of all time and the characters were so great i also love a plot line where the man yearns because he made a mistake and damn did he YEARN, thank you soso much for allowing me to read this early!!! i wanted it immediately after reading the wingman so just thank you from the bottom of my heart! i didn't add my review to goodreaads because of the warning at the beginning of the book but plan to do so on publishing day!

I started reading this during a book slump, and let me just say that this book definitely saved me. The tropes were so good! If you love fake dating, enemies to lovers, and sports romances then I highly recommend giving this a try. Alexei and Georgia were so cute and had such a sweet story. I also loved this book even more for the simple fact that there wasn’t a third act breakup!! It also has me on the edge of my seat waiting for the characters in the next book.

I have been in the mood lately for a light-hearted romance read and this book definitely scracthed that itch! The romance feels like a warm blanket on a crisp day. The best kind of sensation that makes you feel safe and loved. Add a few dashes of humor, a male character that knows how to treat the love of his life right, and a woman who is not afraid to stand up and do what is right, then you have yourself a recipe for perfection. The elements of hockey were okay, and I'm sure anyone who loves the sport will appreciate those scenes in the book. For me, though, my eyes tended to gloss over those moments. Otherwise, I would recommend this read for anyone who loves a well-done contemporary sports romance!

Stephanie Archer's writing is as close to perfection as possible and this book is NO EXCEPTION. This book is a MASTERPIECE marriage of convenience, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, misunderstood humans I've ever had the privilege of reading.

Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year, and sitting here on my hands eagerly anticipating Coach Ward's book!!!

First and always, thank you for the opportunity to read this book earlier. This was a fun addition to this series. I liked that this was an enemies to lovers where EVERYONE (in the book and the reader) knew that they were super into each other and that the hate was really a very strong attraction. Anyway, I enjoyed it and will happily read another book. No pressure or anything. :)

Gloves Off is definitely one of my best reads so far this year. I loved how it was easy to read. It made me cry but also happy as well . Reading about Alexei and Georgia going from hating each other to falling in love with one another was such a great moment. They both figured how to compromise and it doing so they both fell in love. I would definitely recommend this book to others who would like to read something sweet and easy.

5 THOUSAND STARS IF I COULD!

Stephanie Archer, you did NOT have to go this hard for this book but wow, am I glad you did!!!! This book was the perfect enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience story, filled with tension, jealousy, passion, and my favorite- “my WIFE.”

Georgia is such a baddie, from being an amazing doctor to rocking her amazing heel collection with confidence. And Alexei, omfg- this is a man obsessed!!!!! These two riled each other up like no one else could and the fiery passion that resulted from their feuding was HOTTTT 🥵🔥🥵🔥

This is hands down the best book in the series so far!! And if what the teasers we got in this book are for who I think the next book will be based on, I know that’s going to be a banger too!!

Thanks NetGalley and Ballentine for an ARC! Add this to your TBR immediately!!!!!!

Listen. You tell me a book has enemies to lovers AND marriage of convenience and I’m immediately like, HELL YEAH, I’M SAT. Then, when I actually got my hands on the ARC of Gloves Off, it was straight up HELL YEAHHHH I AM SAAAATTT. And let me tell you, Stephanie Archer delivered.

The banter? Elite. The tension? Chef’s kiss. The slow-burn frustration where you just want to yell at them to kiss already? Exquisite suffering. Archer perfectly blends the fiery, "I can't stand you" energy with the "oh no, we're fake married and now things are complicated" chaos in a way that had me hooked from the first page.

Georgia & Alexei both have so much personality and heart that it’s impossible not to root for them, even when they’re being absolute idiots (in the best way). Plus, the emotional depth sneaks up on you. One second you're laughing at a snarky comment, and the next you're clutching your chest because the FEELS hit hard.

In short: if you love tropes done right, characters with undeniable chemistry, and a romance that will have you giggling, screaming, and kicking your feet, Gloves Off is about to become your new obsession. Stephanie Archer, you have me sat forever.