Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! So much I read the whole thing in 4 hours

This is the first book I’ve read by either author and I will now be making sure I read all their individual released books

This was the perfect sports romance, I connected with the main and supporting characters, gave the perfect mix of grumpy/sunshine and touched on difficult topics in a perfect balance, highlighting importance but not letting it take over the whole tone of the story.

I loved the alternating POV’s between Noah and Ally and the whole relationship between Ally and the 3B boys!

I’m really hoping this will be followed up with books for both Fisher and Penn! I love a series where I am just as invested with supporting characters just as much as the main ones!

*4.5

I've been really been loving the cute romances lately. Ally and Noah are adorable. They really just make each others day better.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Romance: 3/5
Chemistry: 3/5
Spice: 0/5 (it's behind closed doors
First kiss: 60%
Humor: 1/5
Cry factor: 1/5
Drama: 3/5
Suspense: 0/5
Foul language: 1/5 (all substitutes of the nasty words thought)

This was a closed door romance with some great tropes: forced proximity; sports romance; grumpy - sunshine ; damaged MC's; protective MMC.
This romance was loaded with chemistry, it was something I was expecting with both Katie and Leah writing the story. I can't wait for more from this duo. They rock with chemistry, there is never a bland moment in their stories.
What I loved about this story was that it wasn't just about their romance. The were both struggling with real issues. The MMC was a rookie and thought doing his best on the ice was all he need, but only to find out he also needed to be human. The FMC had an attempted sexual assault/harassment that is enough to make any girl think twice about herself and her value.
I also love the roomie vibe with all the goofy guys, they were awesome and even flirty men can be true friends.
Harry didn't only capture Noah's heart, he got mine too, the darn cat was too cute.

I hope there's more from these two authors! I can't wait.

Allegra and Noah. Grumpy meets sunshine. Close proximity. Roommates. Hockey and dance. I loved both of their POV of one another and it was very much like the New Girl TV show inspired but in a book form and I enjoyed it so much. I cannot wait for the sequels that the authors will come out with!

ARC review

This book was my first by both authors and I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but this was such a sweet and moving story about two individuals coming into adulthood and dealing with life. Noah was such a man, in touch with his emotions and working on bettering himself constantly. Allegra is a beautiful young woman who is trying to find her peace after a horrible incident upends her life.

I loved the roommate dynamic with all of them and Noah/Ally finding their safe space together. The focus on their emotional relationship is so wonderful and refreshing.

Obviously no real spice if that’s what you’re looking for but I loved the tension and kisses. It was the perfect balance for this couple and their story

This was a sweet, surprisingly heartfelt hockey romance that’s easy to get into and hard to put down once you start. Ally is bold and fun in the best way, but she’s also carrying some emotional weight that makes her feel really real. Noah initially comes off as a bit grumpy and closed-off, but there’s a softer, more genuine side to him that makes you root for him. Moving in with three rookie pro hockey players is a recipe for fun chaos, and Ally’s dynamic with Noah brings slow-burn vibes that keep you hooked.

The romance builds at just the right pace, with plenty of great banter, tension, and soft moments that sneak up on you. Even though this is a closed-door romance, the emotional connection between Ally and Noah brings all the warmth and payoff you want. Fisher and Penn, the other two roommates, add a fun, messy found-family vibe that gives the story even more heart and depth.

I also appreciated that the story is told from both Ally’s and Noah’s perspectives. It was great to get inside Noah’s head and see how he handles things beneath his gruff exterior. I especially loved watching him learn to relax and enjoy life again, as well as seeing Ally overcome her trauma and find a safe space with Noah. If you’re into grumpy-sunshine pairings, slow-burn romances with heart, and a fun found-family vibe, this one is definitely worth a read.

The book deals with some pretty heavy topics, including mentions of sexual assault, grief, and anxiety, among others, so definitely check the full trigger warnings before reading.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Rookie season follows Noah and Allegra, I loved both of these characters separately and so much more together! I also loved Penn and Fisher their roommates and the sprinkle of who the next book may be about. I honestly recommend this book to anyone in their hockey romance era, this is my first book from this author duo however this book follows the children from two other book which I will definitely be going ahead and reading.

Rookie Season is the first book of a new series by Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner. These ladies are the queens of tension filled off page romances! This book follows Allegra and Noah(both characters that started as children in their other books) who unexpectedly are thrown together as roommates. Noah is a professional hockey player in his first year in the NHL and Allegra is running from her past trying to find a new path for herself. Fisher, another roommate, invited her to live in their apartment after she called him asking for his help.

Noah and Allegra get thrown together and despite Noah's persistence to stay focused on only hockey start growing close to one another. This book is filled with tenderness and genuine friendship between the two of them before it turns into more. I really enjoyed this book and flew through it.

Penn and Fisher are their other roommates and give major New Girl vibes. Bonus points that we got to continue to see Andie, Mitch, Lana Mae and Carver from their previous books. This book was so fun to read and I cannot wait to see what else they have planned for this series!

Thank you NetGalley and LBP LLC & Eleventh Avenue Publishing Inc for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Noah!!! The man that you are! And sweet baby Ally. These two had wonderful chemistry. They are the best rep of grumpy sunshine and I loved watching them fall in love in this perfect hockey romance!

This was such an amazing Hockey Romance! Wich does discuss some serious topics so make sure the read the trigger warning! I loved Allegra and Noah!😍 and I loved that Allegra was living with the boys! It was so good to see Allegra's growth and her confidence grow throughout the book! Same with Noah I loved how he got help he needed to slowly deal with the trauma he went through🫶🏻 I adored the side characters and It was so cute to see Penn and Fiaher root for Allegra and Noah🔥💞 It would have been nice to see more of Fisher and Allegra's friendship but all In all I really enjoyed this ARC❤️
Thank you to Leah, Katie and Nwtgalley for the ARC In exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for the read.

I loved seeing the character Allegra as a young adult, and that was the main reason I requested this book. I unfortunately went into this blind. Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book: if sexual assault in a college setting or parental deaths are a trigger those are major issues in this book. They aren't kidding when they say the sexual assault is discussed in depth. Needless to say, this book was very triggering for me. The most triggering pages were 75 & 76, the rest of the book wasn't a trigger. But, please keep your mental health in mind. And I am going to try to be as objective as possible in my review.

I loved Allegra living with the boys, and would have loved to have seen more of her relationship with Fisher. I did also love seeing how she grew in herself and confidence throughout the book. Noah also had a great growth path, where he was finally dealing with the trauma of his parents deaths. It was my first introduction to his character. I really enjoyed the side characters we met and would love to see the stories of the other roommates.

I don't know if it was me, but the writing felt a little bit disjointed between the character POVs. I did enjoy the alternating POV though. Despite the novel triggering me, it was an easy to read novel with great character dynamics, and a very sweet love story.

This was a cute, grumpyxsunshine, easy hockey romance. It did touch on some more serious topics, but I felt it was done well and made the book a fun read and less serious.

I really enjoyed the found family dynamics and that the MMC was a rookie, rather than the millionaire, playboy, star player as with hockey romances not in college often are.

Allegra was the perfect ‘sunshine’, and wasn’t too over the top.

All in all, this was an easy, fast read and good for anyone looking for a hockey romance.

I love me a good sports romance 😊
I really enjoyed this book it was cute, funny and had the perfect amount of spicy chemistry. Its quite a short book, I would have loved to read more but the page count made it a really easy read.
I loved the front cover graphics and enjoyed that the MMC was a rookie rather than "the best player" as they often are in sports romances.
Would definitely continue the series!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC 😊

Thank you so much for the ARC from NetGalley!

First of all, I loved this book! Not only are there cameos from books written by both Leah and Katie (including the MMC and FMC), but there is also humor, great side characters, growth from both main characters, and a great balance between Allegra and Noah's story and their experiences with the side characters. I am so excited for Penn and Fisher's books. I was thrilled about that cameo at the very end, before the epilogue (you will have to read to find out :)). I loved Allegra's growth and how Noah helped her work through her feelings and her trauma. I also loved how Allegra supported Noah in everything and listened to him without judgment. I also appreciated the way they treated Noah's anxiety in the book, because the truth is that it is not something that will "magically be fixed at the end of the book." It is something you deal with and work through to the best of your ability. It will have its ups and downs just like life does. Anyway, I was laughing and kicking my feet throughout this book; it was so good. So, please pre-order this book-you won't regret it!

This was such a cute, feel good sports romance that totally gave me the giggles. The banter was top tier, the chemistry was adorable, and the hockey setting added just the right amount of spice (pun intended). I loved how fun and flirty the vibe was without ever getting too heavy it’s one of those books that’s just easy to read in the best way. The romance had that perfect mix of slow burn and swoon, though I do wish there was a bit more emotional depth at times. Still, I had such a good time with it. If you're into romcoms with charming athletes, lots of laughs, and sweet-but-steamy tension, this one’s a win.