I often get bored with contemporary romances but this had me locked. in. I truly devoured the entire book and nothing could stop me. As a fellow Canadian, the references of home … hit close to home; so I thoroughly enjoyed those moments.

Tropes;
* Enemies to lovers
* Fake marriage / marriage of convenience
* One bed
* Hidden meanings
* New found purpose
* Sacrifice

The initial toxic dynamic between Alexei and Georgia was addicting because the banter was so witty and they truly aimed for the low blows; I giggled and twiddled my feet because I LOVE when women are mean to men. These MC’s loathed each other. This was a true enemies to lovers, emphasis on the enemies. Both MC’s begin with these predisposed ideas of each other but later learn they were terribly misguided in their judgements. Alexei is this brooding, grumpy hockey player who only has one goal in his life, to play hockey. Georgia is this bad a** doctor who has side passions that she is reasonably protective over. While entering a fake marriage/marriage of convenience for their own individual benefits, they both have to work through their past experiences and inevitably become the ultimate “my wife” and “my husband” duo.

When I say I had FUN reading this book, I mean it. My final thoughts to conclude is that my obsession with men being proved wrong was heavily re-enforced (My bf does not appreciate you for this, Stephanie). Alexei’s mom is a girls girl through and through and I love her. Seeing each MC get healthy and supportive in-laws was … healing to say the least.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!! 💜

Release on June 17th!! 🏒💜

4 stars!!

This was such a fun and compelling hockey romance! If you love marriage of convenience and dislike to lovers (but with plenty of secret yearning and being obsessed with each other...), this is for you!!!

This entire series is a delight! I love Stephanie's writing, and this one felt different (in a good way) from the rest of the series. It's a unique and fun approach to the marriage of convenience trope. I love how much the characters truly spent time with each other and got to know each other for who they are, it made their chemistry so intense and tangible. I also loved the pacing, we truly get time to see their fake arrangement turn into a real relationship filled with a lot of love, care, and companionship.

Thank you so much, Dell Romance, Stephanie Archer, and Stephanie's team, for providing me with an arc of this book!

This one started off a bit rocky for me, but it fully recovered. Alexei is described as the grumpy hockey enforcer, but I wouldn’t describe him as grumpy. He is a straight up d*ck and I was fully convinced he could never redeem himself. But I guess that is what happens in a true enemies to lovers situation? I ate my words because this ended up being one of my favorites in the series. I couldn’t put this one down, and I absolutely loved their dynamic. I think they both went into this relationship with preconceived notions, and it was nice to learn more about why they believed what they did and to see their growth through the book. Yearning, tension, chemistry…this book had it all!

5 Stars I'm OBSESSED with Alexei and Georgia's story! I've been eagerly awaiting this installment of Stephanie Archer's Vancouver Storm series since we first met these two. Their story has immediately jumped up to the top of the list of my fave book in this series!

NHL team doctor Georgia Greene and Vancouver Storm star defenseman Alexei Volkov need to get married, and who better than to each other? Georgia needs a marriage certificate to access her trust in order to provide funding for her athletic recovery program and Alexei's marriage to a Canadian citizen would help move his own citizenship process along faster. The only problem? Georgia and Alexei hate each other ever since they first met. So how are they supposed to act like besotted newlyweds all of a sudden? In between appearances to seem like a happily married couple, they are at each other's throats and fighting is more fun than they realized. Georgia is not at all the woman he thought she was and Alexei is more caring and protective than she expected. He cuddles her in bed, cares for her pet rabbits, and calls her his wife. Maybe this fake marriage is more real than either expected.

Alexei Volkov is a top tier book boyfriend! When I first started reading Gloves Off, I never would've expected myself to say that about him, since he was so grumpy and mean to Georgia. It was so satisfying to see him realize and admit that he was wrong about her. Then he absolutely melted for his wife and I melted every time he called her "my wife." I loved their journey as they both learned to be better partners to each other. Plus, Dr. Georgia Greene is that girl. I admired her confidence and how self-assured she was in what she wants from life. An amazing book that you won't regret picking up!!

Thank you Stephanie Archer and Dell for the ARC! Gloves Off releases June 17th!

It’s important to understand that this is a TRUE hate to love situation - like they are very mean to each other 😂. Is there attraction woven in? Sure, but these two truly cannot stand each other for the first half of this book and it is SO SATISFYING to see them both eat their words.

Alexei needs to marry a Canadian to secure his citizenship, and Dr. Georgia Greene needs to marry to get her hands on her inheritance and for some reason (let’s call it fate✨) they decide they are each other’s best option.

Because they would never fall for each other. Right? WRONG!

Hateful banter that turns to flirty banter is *actually* one of my favorite micro tropes… another of my favorites? MY WIFE 🫠🫠 and this book is chock full of both.

Dr. Georgia Greene has all the qualities of my favorite kind of FMC: confident, determined, hardworking, and secure in who she is with a smart mouth. And Alexei haaaaaates that he actually loves that about her… and her lil f me heels 🤭.

I loved this book, their dynamic is one of my faves, and it was so good to be back with their little found family.

This Vancouver Storm girlie is so grateful to Stephanie Archer, Love Notes PR, and Dell Romance for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

Alexei and Georgia are coworkers who absolutely despise one another but decide to enter into a marriage of convenience. Georgia needs to be married to inherit and Alexei needs citizenship for him and his parents. These two got off on the very worst foot when they first met. Their reasons for the marriage and the reasons why they don’t get along are very plausible and understandable.

Marriage of convenience but also enemies to lovers are two of my favorite tropes and I love when you add them together in a hockey romance! This is the fourth book in a series but I haven’t read any of the previous books. I didn’t feel lost but I plan on reading them in the future. This book also sets up the next in the series and I will definitely be reading that!

Marriage of convenience X hockey romance?! This ate. FMC is a doctor and he’s a 36 year old hockey player on the verge of retirement. It wasn’t too insta love for me and included side stories from previous books.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! The book comes out June 17!

I'm admittedly always down to read a hockey romance, but Gloves Off was a particularly fun read. I couldn't put this book down; I finished reading it in one sitting!

3.5⭐️


Alexei, defensa estrella del equipo Vancouver Storm, está en el ocaso de su carrera. A sus 36 años, lucha contra las secuelas físicas de una vida en el hielo, las amenazas de retiro y una situación legal delicada: su ciudadanía canadiense está en peligro, y sin ella, tanto él como su familia podrían ser deportados a Rusia. Georgia, por su parte, es una doctora decidida, estilosa y comprometida con su trabajo, especialmente con un programa de rehabilitación para atletas adolescentes que se ve amenazado por falta de financiación. Para acceder a una herencia millonaria que podría salvar su programa, necesita casarse.

Ambos odian lo que creen saber el uno del otro: Georgia considera a Alexei arrogante, condescendiente y superficial; Alexei ve a Georgia como una princesa rica y mimada. Ninguno de los dos cree en el amor ni lo desea; solo buscan obtener algo del otro sin compromisos reales, por lo que acceden a casarse. Pero la convivencia forzada, los roces constantes, y la necesidad de fingir una relación perfecta ante el público, acaban desenmascarando su vulnerabilidad y revelando una conexión genuina.



_

Lo único que no me gustó fue que faltó ver a Alexei realmente en un mal y verdaderamente arrepentido por cómo trató a Georgia. Sí se notó su remordimiento, pero me hizo falta que se humillara un poco más.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

this was SO good!!!

i love the fake marriage trope and this book didn’t disappoint. alexei embodies everything a fake husband obsessed and protective of his fake wife should be

this book was long and it included so much character growth and didn’t feel rushed at all!

bonus points for no third act breakup

now i guess i need to devour the rest of the books in the series

I love this series and was so excited to be approved for an advance copy of Gloves Off! I don’t always love the marriage of convenience trope, but it worked really well in this book. It made me really sad that these characters hated each other so much from simple misunderstandings. I thought the flow of the story and their marriage evolving was really well done, and their chemistry was incredible. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

I was so excited for Georgia and Alexei’s story from the little moments we got of them in the last book, and it was just as good as I expected! I love the marriage of convenience trope, and their banter and chemistry was so fun and spicy. Loved this couple so much! Don’t want to spoil the next couple/trope but already getting excited for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gloves Off
5/5 ⭐️

Enemies to lovers??? Marriage of Convenience??? LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Alexei and Georgia absolutely loathe each other, but agree to enter a marriage of convenience so Alexei can gain citizenship and Georgia can claim her inheritance, and really it works out because neither one wants to actually get married anyways. Or so they think... 😏

I was a little apprehensive at the start of this book, because I've been pretty adamant that I'm not a fan of miscommunication, but I'm realizing now that what I actually don't like is LACK of communication. The reason Alexei and Georgia don't like each other is based on misunderstandings and assumptions from when they first met, and I LOVED IT. I completely understood why they didn't like each other based on that first initial experience. I honestly think I'd be equally as frustrated with the other if I believed what they did of each other at the beginning.

The banter of the two characters was perfect and the dual POV was delightful so we could see how they each processed the new information they were learning about the other that challenged their preconceived notions. I loved the growth each of the characters experienced and how it brought them even closer together. I also LOVE a good "my wife" moment, and this one had them aplenty.

Read this if you like:
-Hockey Romance
-Enemies to Lovers
-Marriage of Convenience
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Forced Proximity

Thank you to @netgalley @dellromance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There is no trope in hockey romance that Stephanie Archer doesn't CRUSH!

This book was steamy, fun, and I absolutely fell in love with Alexei and Georgia in this book. Their chemistry was off the charts, they had this hilarious banter, and overall the story telling in this book was just perfection!

I loved each and every part of this book so much!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Dr. Georgia Greene had her heart broken. And now she's entirely focused on her career with no time to waste with any of the the players on the hockey team she works for. When she learns funding for her sports recovery program has been cut, it's time for her to claim her inheritance. But to do so she has to get married.

Alexei Volkov is at the top of his game, and as one of the oldest in the league, he's worried about being forced into retirement. It didn't help that Dr. Greene suggested he retire after his last injury. But he's not a Canadian citizen and if he stops playing hockey, it's possible that he and his family will be sent back to their native Russia.

Alexei and Georgia do not like each other at all. But they're the only hope of getting what they want, so they agree to get married. Just for a year - long enough for his citizenship and her inheritance to come through. But marriage isn't what either one expects. And neither dreams it could be...real.

I absolutely loved this!!! I will read ANYTHING Ms Archer writes, and I am obsessed with these characters and the found family she's built.

I do think that the first half of the book was slow, and I found that it took a little while to warm to our MMC. In some cases he felt mean rather than grumpy, but the second half of the book really saw growth and felt more like the classic Vancouver Storm. I loved the ending, I love these characters, and I already want to re-read the series.

So excited for whatever comes next, and to add this book to my physical collection!!

Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes and I absolutely loved Alexei and Georgia. The tension and chemistry were off the charts & even though this was my first book by Stephanie, it will not be my last.

Thank you to Dell for the e-ARC!

Adorable, cozy, and sassy! This was my first read of anything Stephanie Archer, but it sure won’t be my last! I was blown away with how quickly I was drawn into the story, I read a lot of romance and this one was full of witty banter that kept me turning the page long after it was time for bed. You don’t need to read the previous entries of this series to enjoy this book immensely, but I sure will doing so now! Steamy, adorable, and oh so sweet, I can honestly say that this was a top tier hockey romance book that rivals that of Elle Kennedy or Hannah Grace. If you are in the mood for a sexy Russian hockey star and a sassy team doctor fighting their way into each other’s arms, this will sweep you off your feet!!! ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7593399982

I. Just. Finished. My. Arc. And O.M.G.

This is a marriage of convenience romance between two people who HATE the other because of who they *think* each other are. When they get to know each other boyyyy oh boy do they realize how wrong they are.

This is a grumpy sunshine book all the way! Georgia is a fierce, feisty girly who knows her worth and Alexei is a guarded grump who deep down is the biggest cinnamon roll on earth.

The two come together and sign the marriage papers when they realize they have no other choice. They have one huge rule and that’s they can’t fall for each other, which of course would *never* happen…. because they hate each other… right..? 😏

Now on an unprofessional note:

I thought NOTHING IN THE WORLD could top The Fake Out but omg ALEXEIIIIIIIIIIII AND GEORGIAAAAA.
First of all Georgia is my absolute favorite fmc ever written. I relate to her SO MUCH and I actually cried real tears whenever she didn’t get her way in this book lowkey because I felt her on such a deep level 😭. Even over the dumbest stuff like.. she could break a nail and omg the tears are flowing!

And ALEXEI OMGMGJFSJFKAIEQJKDJAOAPS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS. NO WORDS. HE JUST MOVED TO THE TOP OF MY BOOK BOYFRIEND LIST AND LITERALLY SHAT GLITTER ON EVERYONE BELOW HIM. Or should I say he shat petals 😏😏

THE FREAKIN FLOWERS)/&16918:19:)1@:!1&:?2828227:)$292 LIKE OMG. THE WAY MY WHOLE BODY HAD A FULL ON REACTION WHENEVER THEY POPPED UP.

Rory and Alexei are casually sitting at the very very tippy top of my standards for men and I’m afraid NO ONE will ever reach them 😓

But guys this book was everything 100/5 stars. When the haters slowly start turning to lovers is when I start sobbing and let me tell u I was sobbing this entire book.

Stephanie Archer you truly have a gift please never stop righting I’ll cry 😅

I honestly didn’t want it to end. I liked the banter and chemistry between the main characters! It had that perfect mix of tension and tenderness. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was so fun to watch unfold, and the emotional depth surprised me in the best way. Beneath the flirty, fast-paced romance was a real sense of vulnerability and growth, especially with the characters working through fear, ambition, and letting people in. I also really liked how Archer gave us both laugh-out-loud moments and more intimate, reflective ones. It made the romance feel earned and believable.