2⭐️ I really liked the idea of this book, second chance, hockey romance with the added pregnancy trope but I just found it a bit underwhelming.
I didn’t feel there was much chemistry throughout the book and I just found the characters a bit meh 🤷🏻‍♀️

This book was right up my street as it is the usual type of books that I love to read and this book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, would love to read more from this author

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc!
3.5⭐️ Overall, I enjoyed the book's premise and storyline. I'm a sucker for a hockey romance and this had the perfect amount of hockey scenes added in. I liked all the characters, especially little Jack's playfulness and enthusiasm. I enjoyed reading Ellis's experience with fibromyalgia, especially since I've never read a character's perspective on the topic. It came across, as a reader, very life like. I could feel the emotions and challenges Ellis was dealing with off the page.
Now, for the few things that just didn't work for me as a reader with my personal reading preferences. Everything was being overexplained (thoughts, feelings), and they were being overexplained repeatedly. While it's nice to get inside the character's head, I felt like we were in their head a little too much, too often, and on the same topics. It felt like we were on a merry-go-round circling back to the same overexplained topics. The other part that didn't work for me is that there was almost no adversity or tension between Ellis and Liam. The issues that were brought up were easily overcome quickly and effortlessly. I just personally like some more tension between my characters. Overall, though, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a cute single mom, hockey romance.

★★★★☆ | 🌶️🌶️

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC of Melting For You—I absolutely devoured this.

As someone who usually avoids surprise baby tropes and second chances, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. It starts off strong (and steamy!) and then leans into a slow burn that’s filled with emotional depth and genuine heart.

Ellis is fierce, vulnerable, and navigating motherhood and chronic illness like a true force of nature. Liam is the total opposite of your typical hockey player MMC—sweet, patient, endlessly supportive, and completely swoon-worthy. Their connection felt real, and I loved watching them rebuild something that clearly never stopped burning beneath the surface.

Some of the plot beats were predictable, yes, but that ending? Perfect. A feel-good romance that hit me right in the feels.

2.75 stars

Melting For You was an okay read for me, but I had a few issues that made it hard to fully connect with the story.

The writing style felt quite jumpy and, at times, disjointed. Emotional moments between the characters often came across as rushed, which made it difficult to understand the depth of their connection — especially after so many years apart. I think a more developed backstory might have helped ground their relationship and made their feelings feel more believable.

A clear example of this rushed pacing was their reunion — it moved almost immediately from being reacquainted to a full-on steamy scene with little emotional build-up. There wasn’t much yearning or tension to draw me in; it felt like a missed opportunity to really let the characters reconnect in a meaningful way.

Another moment that felt off to me was Liam’s reaction to Ellis’s pregnancy. While I understand that the author likely wanted to contrast him with Ellis’s previous partner — showing support and stability — his reaction felt overly smooth and emotionally flat, lacking the complexity and realism that situation would naturally bring.

As someone with fibromyalgia, I was also curious to see how Ellis’s experience was portrayed. While I respect that everyone’s experience with chronic illness is different, I personally couldn’t relate to how hers was written, and that created a bit of a clash in perspective for me.

I’d recommend this to readers looking for a surface-level romance with an interesting premise. If you enjoy hockey romances or don’t mind a fast-moving emotional arc, you might find it enjoyable. But if you’re someone who prefers a slower burn, stronger emotional buildup, and more realistic reactions, this one might not quite hit the mark.

As always thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to Tegan Phillips, Hera Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whew! What a debut novel. This story follows Ellis, our fiercely strong and independent single-mom who is battling a chronic illness while healing the emotional trauma brought on to her by her mother. Our MMC, Liam, is swoooooooon-worthy. A tough, all-business hockey player who never seemed to get over his first love from college. The second-chance romance was so great. Liam is really what every man should aspire to act like if you are going after an old love or supporting a single mother. I loved the dynamic of their relationship and the found family aspect of the book. I wish we would’ve gone even deeper in the chronic illness/generational trauma aspect, but overall a great representation in those subjects. I can’t wait to read more works by Tegan Phillips! *(especially a Lyndsey x Anders book)* ;)

A second chance romance with a twist, when the characters meet again, the end up with an unplanned pregnancy.

This book is sweet as it delves into the gorgeous and heartwarming moments of pregnancy and starting a family. But as a hockey romance it didn’t meet my expectations.

Ellis and Liam were a couple when they were at college but they broke up because he was an going to play professional hockey and their lives would be totally different . Now 10 years later they meet at a bar and they have an one night stand . One month later she finds out that she is pregnant . Ellis was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at 18 years old and being a single mother to her five year old son Jack and being an owner of a flower shop is make her struggle and now the pregnancy . When she goes to tell Liam she believes that he will react like her ex but he is all in . Liam never forgotten her and now is his chance to win her back .
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publisher as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

I really wanted to love this book because the premise was so promising—Hockey Romance (which is a favorite of mine), second chances, a surprise pregnancy, and the unique perspective of a main character living with fibromyalgia. That last part especially stood out to me. It’s rare to see chronic illness portrayed with such care and depth in romance, and I appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing Ellis’s daily struggles and resilience.

That said, the book didn’t quite land for me. The biggest issue was the lack of chemistry between Ellis and Liam. For a story built around rekindled love and irresistible attraction, I just didn’t feel the spark. Their interactions felt more awkward than romantic, and I found myself not really rooting for them as a couple. Their dynamic just didn’t feel natural.

Still, the idea of exploring co-parenting, fame, and chronic illness in one story was compelling. I just wish the execution had lived up to the concept. If you’re in it for representation and a unique setup, it might still be worth a try—but go in with tempered expectations.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Canelo and NetGallery for this ARC.

There were so many parts of this storyline which I really did enjoy, but for me sadly it was a 2.5 star read.

There was the huge amount of inner monologue in the book, by our main female character Ellis in particular around whether or not she wanted to be with her University sweetheart Liam. This started off early in the book when she decided to break up with him at University because he had a promising career ahead of him in hockey, despite him saying he wanted to desperately stay with her. Maybe I’m too much of a hopeless romantic, but why did she leave him?!

Then when they got back together 10 years later, she was still acting this way, saying that she couldn’t be with him - 90% of this book was Ellis worrying about committing to the most gorgeous and lovely man to ever exist, and there was no huge clear reason as to why that was. It was mentioned a couple of times she was worried about the gossip of her dating a hockey player in the press but when that then happened, it was a short paragraph in the book saying the head of PR handled it.

I wanted to know the hockey team mates a bit more, I found myself whenever one of their names was mentioned trying to remember who they were, I think maybe they all needed more personality to stand out from each other.

There was such enjoyable moments in this book, Liam’s dialogue just had me swooning and smiling. He did nothing but just shower love on Ellis, moving her into his house, hiring a private chef to cook her home made crumpets, what more could a girl want? Jack was just totally had my heart, he was so adorable. But because of all the inner dialogue, these great bits of the book just got lost in it all, they were too far apart.

This story had so much potential to be a great read for me, I typically love hockey romance and the second chance trope, but I just didn’t love the way that it was executed.

My biggest gripe with the story is all the back and forth and the internal monologue. It found that it drug on and I ended up skimming a lot of the book for that reason.

I will say that I loved the found family element of this story and thought it was well done.

There were some really cute moments, but over all the book fell flat for me.

Tropes: Sports Romance, Dual POV, Single Parent, Found Family, Second Chance Romance, Accidental Pregnancy.

I loved the representation of fibromyalgia in this book. That was a first for me. I did appreciate how it was included in the Ellis’s pregnancy. There wasn’t much drama in here, it was warm and fuzzy because of Liam.

What I Loved: I usually hate a pregnancy trope, but this didn’t feel like a typical one that I normally dislike. It grounded the story. Liam was so in love with Ellis for years. He proved it time and again that he was in it for the long haul, not just for the baby. I loved how he accepted Ellis and her son and stepped up being a father to a child with an absent father. Ellis is so strong but yet stubborn. Living with a chronic illness is hard, but its harder as a single parent. She really battled with her emotions when it came to Liam. I felt the chronic illness was represented well. Lastly, I felt that the dynamic of step parent/child was done really well here.

What Didn’t Work: There was a lot of miscommunication, and a lot of inner dialogue both characters had. I wish they had sorted their feelings a earlier. It took me a lot longer to read what should have been a fast paced book due to this.

Rating: 3.5 Stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!

This book had such a good concept, but the execution just wasn't to its full potential.

I love hockey romances so much that I was so excited to read this, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I'm not the biggest fan of the pregnancy trope, but when done well, I love it. This book, however, didn't quite do this trope any justice.

The book had so many cute moments, but the balance of what I loved about it and what I didn't just didn't match up, which is why I gave it 2 stars.

I did love the author's writing style because even though I didn't love the book, it was still an easy read.

I really wanted to like this book, I thought that the premise and plot were good! But, unfortunately I really didn't vibe with the writing. It had some grammatical issues, as well as feeling like pages and pages of internal thoughts with no dialogue. Of course, this is a romance novel, however it touched on some real issues. The main character, Ellis, was a well-developed 3-dimensional character. However, I felt like the love interest was not. He felt overly perfect in a way that made the story feel unrealistic.
That being said, I was emotionally moved by the book and did really enjoy many parts of it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC!

This boo is a perfect mix of humor and heart. The main characters have great chemistry and the story keeps you hooked from start to finish. It's a feel good read that shows how love can surprise you when you least expect it.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of Melting For You by Tegan Phillips

Melting for You delivers a satisfying mix of second-chance romance, emotional depth, and sports drama. Ellis is a strong, relatable heroine navigating chronic illness and an unexpected pregnancy, while Liam is a swoony, complicated NHL player with more heart than ego. Their chemistry jumps off the page, and the tension—both romantic and situational—keeps the story moving. I especially appreciated how the author tackled chronic illness with sensitivity and realism without letting it define the entire narrative.

This is a great pick for readers who love hockey romances, high-stakes emotions, and characters with real-life struggles. A promising debut, and I’ll definitely be watching for more from Tegan Phillips!

pretty good romance. effective plotting and effective characters, although I felt we needed a bit more development from our FMC. 3.5, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

I unfortunately had to DNF this one. I found myself unable to connect with the characters so I didn't get that click to keep myself interested.

I am usually a sucker for the hockey player trope. Something about those damn hockey players I can’t get enough of. Unfortunately for as many things I liked about Melting For You, there just was something far worse taking away from the story. Too much inner monologue- by both H and h. Way too much. Pages upon pages of inner thought, conflict and worst of all going over storyline that would have been better off as a chapter of live conversation between both H’s instead of one H thinking back on yesterday… all the inner monologue just slowed the story down. I skipped so much of it just to get to something between the two actually happening.
What I liked was the very accurate description of what someone with Fibromyalgia goes through on a day to day basis, as well as during a painful flare. I have lived with it for years and author made the illness seen. As well as being a mother, the author was able to pull me in with understanding. Just got in her own way with the darn monologues going on and on and on.…

I lost track of the amount of times that I cried while reading this. It is so beautifully written! I could tell while reading this book how much heart and emotion were put into writing it. This is such a beautiful story about love and found family!