
Member Reviews

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 :)

This is the best Stephanie Archer novel I have read to date. The witty banter and sassy remarks between Georgia and Alexei were top tier. They had me giggling and blushing my way through the entire book. I had the hardest time putting this book down and finished it in basically one sitting. The enemies-to-lovers journey was perfect and drawn out the right amount of time without it feeling like they were going to never get to actually be lovers. When it became an "only one bed" situation, I knew it was going to get good! The chemistry was remarkable between the two MCs, so by the time they got the spicy, it was chef's kiss, perfection. Watching Alexei slowly become a softy was the cutest, and watching Georgia find love without losing herself was so powerful. Stephanie does a fantastic job making sure her FMCs never lose themselves or their goals while getting the HEA, and I love to see (read) it! No trad-wife epiphanies in sight when Stephanie Archer is writing our main girls. I think this just might be my favorite novel in the Vancouver Storm series (taking over the reins from the Wingman). I can't wait to see what she has in store for the next addition to the series.

“I can barely stand how much I love her. How my heart beats solely for her. How she changed my life, helped me find a new purpose, made me whole.”
Georgia and Alexei. The only way for her to get her inheritance is if she gets married and he needs to find a wife so he can get his citizenship to stay in Canada. They decided to get married, but the only thing they have in common is their dislike for one another since they remind each other of their exes.
The banter, the teasing, the spice, and the fact he’s supposed to “hate” her yet he sends her flowers that represents their growing relationship throughout the whole book?!!
🌼READ IF YOU LIKE🌼:
- dual POV
- marriage of convenience
- dislike to love
- he’s a hockey player, she’s a doctor
- sports romance
- grumpy x sunshine
- age gap
- forced proximity
cw: misogyny, manipulative family member, controlling ex, past broken engagement
Thank you @stephaniearcherauthor and @dellromance for the advanced copy! Gloves Off is now available!

What an amazing enemies to lovers book! The bomb of Alexei and Georgias wedding hit at the end of the last book and you could just tell their story was going to be great. Their. Banter. Chefs kiss. Alexeis touch or look at my wife and die energy was so so so good.

A delightful read. Perfectly paced with a plot and characters that hooked me in and didn’t let go. Stephanie Archer does not miss with her books, and Gloves Off raised the bar even further. Would 100% recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I had a lot of fun with this one. Georgia, a team doctor for the Vancouver Storm, is looking to claim her inheritance while Alexei, the team's grumpy enforcer, wants to ensure himself and his parents can finally gain Canadian citizenship. Although often at each other's throats, the two agree to a marriage to each get what they need—and nothing more. Through award ceremonies, Halloween parties and youth soccer practices, Georgia and Alexei discover that their assumptions about each other may have been off base. And so the romance commences. The beats are familar for a marriage of convenience story but the arc is fun to read through all the same.

4.5/5 Stars
Thank you to Stephanie Archer and Dell for providing me with an arc.
I overall really enjoyed this one but it was a roller coaster. I will be honest I hated the first 25% of this book and almost dnfed it but I pushed through because of my love of this series and I am so happy I did. I ended up loving this book and I adore Alexei and Georgia’s relationship. I loved how their relationship developed and how their marriage became real. I can’t wait for the next in this series, this one sets up the next very well and I know it's going to be amazing. I recommend reading these in order but you would understand everything if you picked up this series here.

I devoured all of the Vancouver Storm books by Stephanie Archer after reading the first one, Behind the Net. I was super excited to read Gloves Off, which is the story of Alexei and Georgia who we have seen sniping at each other since the beginning.
This book did not disappoint. They start off "disliking" each other but you can feel the heat and attraction. Georgia needs to be married for an inheritance, and Alexei needs help with citizenship. They decide to hate marry each other, but spending so much time together just starts showing each other that they were wrong about their assumptions. Both burned by previous relationships, it was wonderful to see them grow and discover love.
The whole Storm crew is mentioned in the book. Alexei and Georgia are the focus, and it was great to get to know them.
As with all of Stephanie Archer books, this one had a nice amount of spice. I cannot wait for the next in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine, and Stephanie Archer for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

This is a really nice, feel-good book! I love the characters and strong sense of setting. Haven’t read the series before, but you don’t need to with the way Archer writes. I found the first few chapters of introductions a little choppy, but once past that, it’s pretty smooth sailing. Great storyline beautiful storytelling.

Ohhhh heck yes! I needed to take a break from reading 4 cowboy romances back to back and was SO glad I chose this one to escape to!!! I absolutely devoured it and loved every minute of it.
Georgia and Alexei are at each other’s throats and are so emotionally invested in the barbs the other has thrown their way until they realize they could help each other out immensely by getting married…
What follows is a journey of uncovering the hard truths behind the jabs they’ve made and really, how perfect they are for each other!
I loved the style of writing and that it was multi-POV so we got to witness the thoughts of both Alexei and Georgia as they really got to know one another and open themselves up to more.
Beyond the banter and the flower-gifting, the spice was SPICING!!! I really enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and the spice that came as a result. 😏
This was my first Stephanie Archer book and I will now be racing to read the other books in the Storm series!
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

*I received a copy of this book as an ARC. This review and thoughts are mine alone.*
Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Alexei has been one of my favorite characters in this series since book 1, so my expectations were high. And boy did Stephanie deliver.
He’s broody, hot, and a force to be reckoned with on the ice, so why does Georgia get to him so much?
Georgia is a doctor, who Alexei thinks is a prissy rich girl with a golden spoon in her mouth, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
They agree to marry in order to help each other out, and once the fire starts, there’s no putting it back out.
This was such a fun, sassy, and sweet story with a HEA and no 3rd act breakup.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for access to the ARC in exchange for this honest review!

One of my new all time favorite “marriage of convenience” + “my wife” reads !!
Alexei Volkov is one of the grumpiest, alpha hole, hockey players that I have read in a while .. and I LOVED every second of him . And Dr. Georgia Greene is exactly everything I want to be, including being married to Alexei . I truly loved everything about this book from the intense burning chemistry, fighting as their foreplay, flowers and shoes being used as a love language, how grumpy, grouchy, and delicious Volkov is and everything else in between ! I cannot wait to see what book five will have in store for us !
This is book four in the Vancouver Storm series and it can be read as a complete standalone .
This book was given to me for honest review from the author, NetGalley and DellRomance .

This was my first book by Stephanie Archer, and I absolutely loved it! I didn’t realize it was part of a series, but thankfully it works perfectly as a standalone. I had no trouble diving into the story, and now I can’t wait to go back and read the others!
Gloves Off is a true enemies-to-lovers romance, and it delivers that trope so well. Alexei Volkov and Georgia couldn’t stand each other thanks to a miscommunication during their first meeting years ago. From that moment on, their animosity has been on full display—Alexei thinks Georgia is a spoiled, entitled rich girl, while Georgia sees him as cold, judgmental, and convinced she’s not a capable doctor.
When fate throws them together with a marriage-of-convenience scenario (he needs citizenship, she needs to secure an inheritance), sparks fly in all the best ways. Their banter was chef’s kiss—full of sass, sarcasm, and just the right amount of pettiness. The pranks and verbal sparring had me laughing out loud, and I couldn’t get enough of their slow-burn transformation from loathing to undeniable chemistry.
Watching Alexei and Georgia start to unravel their misconceptions about each other was so satisfying. Their emotional journey felt genuine, and their romance had the perfect blend of humor, heat, and heart.
If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers, fake marriage, and irresistible banter, this book is for you. I’m officially hooked on Stephanie Archer’s writing and can’t wait to read more from her!

I requested Gloves Off for review as soon as I saw that it was an enemies-to-lovers hockey romance that also features a marriage of convenience. Once I got it, I realized it was book 4 in the Vancouver Storm series, which I hadn’t read yet, but thankfully it worked well as a standalone.
Gloves Off follows Georgia and Alexei. Alexei is a veteran player on the Vancouver Storm, while Georgia is the team’s doctor. Alexei is trying to secure both his and his parents’ Canadian citizenship so that they won’t have to return to Russia after he retires from the team, and is told by legal counsel that being married would help to expedite his paperwork.
At the same time, Georgia needs a husband to meet the archaic terms of her inheritance so that she can keep her research lab open when the hospital cuts her funding. Even though Georgia and Alexei cannot stand each other, they do see where getting married for a while could be of mutual benefit so they decide to go for it.
Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope, and I adored the way it played out in this book. The sparks were absolutely flying between these two, both in the present and when we got little glimpses back to when they first met each other. Their banter is hilarious, and they have insane chemistry so it’s easy to see that once they both realize their initial impressions of each other are dead wrong, those passionate feelings of hate are going to spin into a completely different kind of passion. I especially enjoyed Alexei’s transformation because he goes from this rude, gruff guy to a marshmallow who worries about Georgia’s safety, cuddles her pet bunnies, & showers her with gifts. Even though Georgia swears she’s never getting married for real, I was rooting for Alexei to win her over.
In addition to enjoying Alexei and Georgia’s story, I also loved all of the secondary characters, so I definitely want to circle back and read the first three books to get to know them better.

🏒Hockey
🏒Marriage of Convenience
🏒Enemies to Lovers
🏒Forced Proximity
This is my first book by this author, and it definitely won’t be the last! I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, and this story absolutely delivered! The chemistry and tension between Alexei and Georgia had me hooked, and their banter had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. A perfect mix of humor, heart, and heat…highly recommend!
🎧JF Harding and Stella Hunter both did an amazing job with their duet narration. They really brought these characters to life and I could feel all the emotions!

There is quite literally nothing better than a hockey romance that’s also a marriage of connivence. My first read by Stephanie Archer and absolutely not my last😌
Alexi Volkov is absolutely top tier. Alexi and Georgia start off haaaaating each other l, but Alexi needs citizenship so he marries Georgia. except he’s sending her flowers every. single. day. So did he ever really hate her?!
perfect if you’re into sports romance mixed with some forced proximity goodness.

This book was everything I wanted — tension, banter, and a marriage of convenience that had me fully feral. Alexei starts off so grumpy it borders on rude, but the second those walls crack? Game over. He’s obsessed in the best, most delusional way, and Georgia matches him perfectly with her sass, ambition, and zero patience for his nonsense. Their dynamic is messy, magnetic, and absolutely addictive. The shift from enemies to something softer was flawless — full of stolen glances, thoughtful gestures (those custom heels???), and fake wife moments that felt way too real. Also, no third act breakup. I repeat — NO third act breakup. Just two idiots figuring it out like adults, and I loved every second of it.

This was my first book by this author and I was delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this novel! Every author seems to be writing sports romance at the moment, and after DNFing or struggling through a few by other authors, I was really hoping to enjoy this and was very glad that I gave this author a try. This is the fourth in a series about a hockey team in Vancouver, but can be read as a standalone (I have not read the other 3 as of the writing of this review, but have added all 3 to my TBR).
First of all, the BANTER. Y'all. The banter here is top-notch. This is a forced-proximity, marriage-of-convenience, enemies-to-lovers done WELL. Our MMC is a hockey player facing retirement, and thus the expiration of his Canadian visa. Our FMC is a doctor from a disgraced branch of a wealthy family, who needs to marry to secure her inheritance so that she can save her medical research. They have a rough background together- he believes she is a spoiled princess who doesn't think he can handle professional hockey, and she believes that he told her boss she was incompetent. They verbally spar whenever they are thrown together. But they both need a wedding, and no one else will provide them the fake marriage they need.
I loved the slow burn, the journey both characters take as they realize that they were wrong about each other, and the way that both handle their relationship with maturity and none of the icky tropes that authors rely on to provide third act tension.
I will 100% be checking out the rest of this series!

I imagine Stephanie Archer writing these characters tapping away like an evil mastermind because she writes the enemies/hate to love trope to perfection. The banter, the tension, the pranks. I LOVE IT ALL. Add in a marriage of convenience and forced proximity and you have the perfect combination for these characters to work through their angst and finally realized that their hate was actually attraction.

This is so good!! I am head over heels in love!!
When I say tension and banter, this is what I meant!!
Alexei needs citizenship, Georgia needs inheritance. One simple solution: get married. They don't want to catch feelings, so marry whom they hate, each other.
But marrying means getting to know each other even though they try not to and convincing others that they are happily married,which means forced proximity and keeping a cap on mutual lust.
I ate it up, couldn't put it down, obsessed. It is longer for a romance, and usually i get out of by 80% in most cases, but this not at all. I was obsessed from start to end.
The parents and rabbits part were absolutely adorable. The slow burn was torturous but delicious.💓
Their banter and come backs were top notch,
sometimes when a bit rude exactly as we would expect to come from two people who absolutely despise each other.
And then the ways he supported her, fixed himself for her, that was amazing. He tried to be controlling, but when he realised it hurt her, he changed it. He was proud of her, he supported her without being pushy. He found a love that want hockey. It was everything i needed.
Little issue I had were personal after knowing the reason of their dislike, which turned out to be based on instant but feelings, which i didn't find to be convincing enough, as I am not a fan of such feelings. And that bit of kink they explored- not a fan.
Overall:
Highly recommend, perfect hate to love, the longer the better.