*4.5 stars*

I loved it and I'm so happy that Sarina is "back" to writing hockey romances... 'nuff said!

Sarina Bowen has done it again. Thrown for a Loop is one of those books you pick up meaning to read a few chapters—and suddenly it’s 2am and you’ve finished the whole thing. Fast-paced, full of emotional twists, and layered with just the right mix of angst, romance, and just the right amount of developed characters, this story pulls you in from page one.

There's something so effortlessly readable about Bowen's world-building—you feel like you know these people, this team, this whole messy, beautiful situation. The chemistry crackles, the heartache feels real, and somehow she makes it all feel fresh even if you’ve read dozens of romances before.

Another win for Sarina Bowen. Don’t start it unless you’re ready to lose a day.

I’m a big fan of figure skating stories. And when one of my friends mentioned "Thrown for a Loop" was available, I had to pick it up. This is my first time reading a book by Sarina Bowen, and it certainly won't be my last.

I expected to read a book that was primarily about hockey, but I found there was a nice balance between the two sports. Think "The Cutting Edge." The technical aspects of both sports were pretty spot on and well explained.

Both of the main characters of the book, Zoe and Chase, are also well-developed. Sarina did a great job integrating in a series of flashbacks to take us readers from the past to the present. It added to the depth of both characters and really made me root for them to succeed.

If you enjoy second chance romances, slow-burn, enemies to lovers, and grumpy sunshine reads, this book is for you.

I can't wait to read Darcy's book next,

Solid 4/5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Forever Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

4 stars- I have read a few other books by Sarina Bowen before and I love hockey romance books so I was excited to read this! This was such a cute read! Once I started reading this, I flew through it and couldn't put it down. I really enjoy second chance trope books and this was no different. I liked the twist of Zoe with a figure skating background being one of the coaches for Chase's hockey team. I enjoyed seeing them build their relationship together again as adults. I am looking forward to the next book in this series with Darcy and Tremaine!

Ce livre ne sera publié qu'en novembre 2025 mais j'ai eu l'opportunité de le découvrir et j'ai passé un très moment avec ce livre!

Nous allons suivre Zoe, une ancienne patineuse artistique qui est devenue coach en patinage. Elle vient d'être recrutée par le club de hockey de New York. Le seul petit bémol, c'est qu'il y a Chase Meritt, le meilleur joueur de hockey du moment mais également avec lequel elle a eu une relation il y a 10 ans qui s'est mal terminé... Alors arriveront-ils à travailler ensemble?

J'avoue que quand j'ai vu Sarina Bowen et romance hockey, je n'ai pas hésité et j'ai foncé dessus! Je ne suis pas déçue du tout! Sarina Bowen nous offre une romance seconde chance, slow burn, proximité forcée et cela fonctionne parfaitement! On est sur une double temporalité : le présent et le passé, ce qui nous permet de saisir tous les enjeux de leur relation. J'ai beaucoup aimé les personnages : ils savent ce qu'ils veulent respectivement et se battent pour leurs opinions mais ils se soutiennent mutuellement ! J'ai hâte d'avoir le second tome sur Darcy et Tremaine!

En bref, une très bonne hockey romance!

📚✨ ARC REVIEW ✨📚
Thrown for a Loop by @sarina.bowen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (4.5/5 stars)

Thank you to Sarina Bowen and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Zoe, a former Olympic figure skater, has traded in medals for a coach's whistle. She is the new skating coach for the New York Legends hockey team. It should be something to celebrate — except her ex, Chase, is on the team. Zoe hasn't spoken to him in a decade, ever since he ghosted her after falling in love at skating summer camp… and she’s never been able to fully let him go. ⛸️

Chase is having major skating issues. Zoe knows she could help him, but he refuses to work with her. His game is suffering, and he’s lashing out, earning him a spot on management’s naughty list. 😬

When an old video of Chase and Zoe skating a pairs routine at camp goes viral, the team sees a chance for Chase to redeem himself with fans. The two are tasked with recreating the routine, putting them in close proximity and forcing them to confront the ghosts of their past.

I loved this book (no surprise — Sarina Bowen is one of my favorite authors!). Her signature mix of banter, heart, and heat is all here and beautifully done. 🔥

Zoe is such a powerhouse. A woman succeeding in a male-dominated field, she quickly proves her worth, even when others are hesitant. I felt so much for her as she navigated complicated dynamics with her overbearing mother and sleazy ex-husband/agent. I practically cheered when she stood up for herself.

And Chase? Whew. A sexy hockey player with deep-rooted trauma? Yes, please. 🏒 He starts off so angry and shut off, but you can feel that there’s something simmering underneath. I only wish we’d had dual POV—it would’ve been amazing to see inside his head, especially given how different he was at 19 vs. 29. I get why it was withheld (to preserve the mystery of the event that tore them apart), but still—I'd take any excuse to get more Chase.

Perfect for fans of:
💘 Second chance romance
🏒 Sports romance
💼 Workplace romance
🔥 Slow burn tension
📹 Forced proximity
🏕️ Summer camp love
⏳ Dual timelines

#ARCReview #ThrownForALoop #SarinaBowen #SecondChanceRomance #SportsRomance #HockeyRomance #FigureSkating #NYLegends #RomanceReaders #RomanceRecs #Bookstagram #RomanceBookReview #NetGalley

I grabbed this book purely based on the cover because it’s way too cute and it’s a romance book even though I literally do not enjoy hockey romances, so I don’t know why I picked this one up - that was literally on me.

If you like hockey romances, this one’s really written well it’s got good banter. It has really cute images separating the chapters. I think this one’s gonna do really well like I was giggling with it. I just personally I can’t do hockey romances. I just cannot do them.

Again, if you like hockey romances snatch this one up and do not miss out on that because it’s really really really good

Thank you for this ARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave feedback honestly.

I really enjoyed this story! It was the perfect summer read and I finished it in a day. Chase and Zoe I felt like were well developed characters that I was invested in. I loved how multiple chapters provided a flashback with deeper knowledge on their previous relationship. This is a book I can’t wait to share and put on my shelf when it comes out. I also can’t wait for Tremaine and Darcy’s story comes out. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you for the advanced read netgalley and publisher.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Sarina Bowen is an author I loved years ago but her latest stuff has been hit or miss. This was definitely a hit!!!

In this story, we follow retired figure skater Zoe and hockey player Chase. Told in present and past timelines, we first meet these two as coaches at a summer ice skating camp. Fast forward ten years, Zoe was just hired as a skating coach for The Legends hockey team in NY, where Chase is a star player. Except, Chase has lost his mojo and needs Zoe’s help to become the player he once was. Can these two rebuild their trust (and possibly love) for each other enough to make this happen?

I loved the plot, main characters, mystery, and side characters. I actually cannot wait to Darcy’s book next. I also found it fun and easier to follow with the dual POV. The last was told from Chase’s POV, while present was Zoe’s. Brilliant.

I will say that this is a slow burn. It could rival Mariana Zapata honestly. I was about 60% through the book when I thought “there isn’t much romance in here.” So, if you are looking for a romance heavy on the spice with little plot, this is not for you. I actually enjoyed this though because Zoe and Chase started off as friends at 18/19 and grew into more, and that was how it played out at 28/29. It was perfect.

There wasn’t much I didn’t like how this book. It is heavy on the hockey and ice skating terminology, but as a novice it wasn’t too hard to follow. But there were times when I was like “okay, we get it. Move on.”

I enjoyed this novel and cannot wait for the next installment.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this story! Great second chance sports romance. Loved that both the heroine and hero are athletes. Definitely giving Cutting Edge vibes. As the story develops you learn about the main characters (Zoe and Chase) love story through flashbacks and what led to their break up all those years ago. In the present, I liked seeing how their relationship progresses and the added complication of ice skating together again, made it even more enjoyable. It was also great seeing a female character in the role of a hockey coach and the realistic representation on how it feels to be in male dominated field. The side characters were fun and I hope to read more about them. Overall, sweet story… if you love a hockey romance and second chance romance you’ll love this book!

Had a great time with this! It’s been hard lately to find well paced and well edited modern sports romances. This was so refreshing after a lot of duds recently.

Other thoughts:
- I’m not big on flashbacks and while I enjoyed these I think I would’ve appreciated more present day romantic scenes. Especially when there’s a decade, a marriage, and a divorce between the flashbacks and the present timeline.
- while we’re on it I think her ex husband and that whole relationship could’ve been cut. Didn’t really add anything for me.
- loveddddd the connect between the two timelines with the same pairs program performance. Such a perfect way to tie them together.

I’ve read several other Sarina Bowen novels and I’ve been a fan of her work for a while. I was excited to see a new hockey/ice skating romance from her, but it honestly fell a little flat for me.

I enjoyed the dual timelines that explained the main characters’ past while they reconnected 9 years later. However, first half of the book was pretty slow and took a bit to really get into.

I enjoyed PR crisis/how we do fix this trope in the middle of the book, which ultimately lead to the main storyline. However, I was hoping Zoe and Chase would have reconnected by the halfway point. Over 60% through the book, and they still hate each other. They didn’t make up until roughly the 80% mark, which felt like it took way too long to get to.

Overall, the story was cute, but it just wasn’t as intriguing or exciting as I would have liked it to be.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I loved this, I’m a sucker for hockey romance and it reminded me a little of The Cutting Edge in the best way, ‘toe-pick.’ It was such a fun second chance romance, and I loved the flashbacks showing how deeply they connected until everything fell apart. This was my first book by this author and I’m excited to see this looks like the start of a new series. Now to add the rest of her backlist to my ever expanding TBR

Thrown for a Loop was such a delightful second-chance romance! I read this book in two days because I couldn’t wait to find out more about main characters Chase and Zoe. The story is told in two timelines: younger Chase and Zoe working at a skating camp and present time Chase and Zoe. In present day, Zoe is recently hired to be a skating coach for Chase’s professional hockey team. Chase is clearly not happy about this new development, and Zoe seems hurt and confused by his reaction. It was so much fun to discover what had happened in the past to lead them both to this point. I can’t wait to read this author’s future books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book.

A fun second chance romance between a hockey player and an ice skater. I would have loved more pov from the mmc as an adult because I know he was yearning. Overall got was a cute sweet easy to read story!

The problem with most sports romances is that there isn’t really much of the sport included in the story. That is NOT a problem in this book, thank goodness! I don’t know much about the fine points of either figure skating or hockey but I really appreciated all the attention and detail included here in the story of a woman trying to get a full-time job as an NHL skating coach. Throw in a second-chance romance and SWOON!!! Great chemistry between the MCs once they work through the past. The harassment the FMC deals with is just the right amount of vinegar to go with the sweetness of other plot lines. Great story and I look forward to reading through Sarina Bowen’s back inventory.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the free ARC. The opinions here are wholly my own.

Zoe Carson, former figure skating queen, needs a fresh start as a hockey skating coach. An NHL gig with the New York Legends is her big chance. Unfortunately, that means facing off against the star player who broke her heart ten years ago. Chase Merritt knows his game is off, and he’s on the verge of losing sponsors. But he doesn’t need the ice princess from that intense college summer showing up and telling him what he’s doing wrong—even when she’s right. On the ice, they’re magic. Off the ice, they’re nothing but heat and stubbornness, and everyone on the team is enjoying the show. But when an old video of Zoe and Chase’s figure skating routine goes viral, they’re forced to work together more intimately than ever before. Can the two get it right this time or will the whole world watch them crash and burn?

Thoughts
Fast easy read, nothing in here that was too heavy. My favorite second chance is that there was no 3rd act breakup! I liked the both lead characters, and was proud of Zoe for the growth we saw throughout the book. I also liked most of the side characters, we love a hockey team found family situation.

This one was SO cute! I love that all the flash backs were in Chase POV. Chase and Zoe had great chemistry and we love to see females breaking glass ceilings in sports/male dominated industries.

I really enjoyed this sports romance! A figure skater and NHL player, both experts in their craft--what's not to love?

Zoe Carson is a former Olympic figure skater who hung up her skates and put her extensive training into learning everything she could about biomechanics and how to get an edge with skates. Hoping for a full-time career as a skating coach, Zoe signs on a part-time gig with the New York Legends, even though it's his team. Teenage Zoe is still hung up on Chase Merritt, but that's not why she took the job. Zoe is hoping for some closure and answers to why Chase ghosted her after a magical summer camp romance almost 10 years ago but he's surly, tanking in his games, and avoiding her.

When a team fundraiser pushes them together (and back in figure skates) to recreate their routine from summer camp, it seems like the perfect chance to hash out their past and to make it break Zoe's career.

I loved how we got alternating timelines --the past from Chase's perspective and current time from Zoe's until the moment things fell apart. It was a great technique for the reader to get to know the characters and how close they used to be while also seeing the distance and trust issues in the present. I really liked how the story centered around older characters (late 20's) with their real life problems and how their parenting continued to impact their current decisions. Zoe and Chase also respected each other's talents and careers.

I enjoyed the chemistry later in the book, but I felt like the tension, angst, and slow burn was missing. Of course we knew the main characters would get together, but there was almost no clue to how Chase was feeling or pushing against along the way.

Overall, I'd recommend this book as a great read, and I look forward to book 2 in the series!

Thank you so much to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the early chance to read and review “Thrown for a Loop.”

I really enjoyed this second chance romance between hockey players Chase and figure skater turned skating coach Zoe. I enjoyed the dual timeline which allowed the reader to experience both instances of their romance. I also enjoyed the banter between the main and secondary characters, as well as the mystery wound throughout the present day storyline. Also, as a reader, I especially enjoy the figure skater-hockey players microtrope in hockey romance but in this instance I especially appreciated how Chase was also able to figure skate - that is not something I have seen as much and that I really enjoyed. I hope the author chooses to continue this as a series, because I definitely enjoyed my time with the NY Legends and would love to see more of the players in a future book. 4.5 stars.