This is book 3 of the Love in Maple Falls series. And it features grumpy Mabel from Maple Falls, and sunshine Asher Trembly hail from Canada.

Mabel had a very public breakup with the man she thought would be her forever. Not only was her mom felt she embarrassed the family, they did not support or try to understand her. The feeling is that her mom spends more time with the town than with her, if she only has a fraction of her mom's affection as she does for the town, she might not be as damaged.

Meanwhile, Asher suffered some traumatic event growing up and gotten to where he's double checking, triple checking everything. Some people calls it quirk, but he knew, it's his OCD developing.

The two have sparks, but both knew it cannot go anywhere. Not to mention, Mabel is a city girl, she has aspirations, and as much as Asher knew this girl is it for him, how can he makes her stay?

Super cute and (maple) sugar sweet. No spice, but there's no need. Also, thank you for no 3rd act.
Thank you NetGalley & Red Bird Publishing and author for the ARC.

This was a heartfelt story that pulls at the heart strings! I love the books in this series! Asher and Mabel's relationship was cute and loving. Their banter was on point. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC

This book was so good! This is the perfect closed door hockey romance book! The story was packed full of so many cute and funny moments!

Another book in the Love in Maple Falls series. Can be read as a stand alone though. Hockey romance with a small town feel. I don’t know if I’d call it grumpy/sunshine… maybe more of a sarcastic/sunshine trope? 😉 Now I need to go read the others in the series!

Thanks to Red Bird Publishing for this book in exchange for my honest review. Checking Mr. Wrong is out now!

A perfect romcom for Fall. Mabel is a wound up tight reporter sent from NYC to her hometown to cover the story of a new NHL team. She also wants to use this time to fix her broken relationship with her mom.

Asher is a happy go lucky dude on the team. He does suffer OCD but his team knows his quirks and how to deal with it.

Mabel and Asher have their issues but they deal with each other very well. Its always so lovely to see to books where the romance is built on friendship, empathy and support vs. plain lust and you get that in spades in this book.

A lovely read that was just the right side of perfect.

Start/End: 11/09/25 - 12/09/25
Genre: Sports Romance

Summary: Mabel, a sports reporter, is returning to her hometown of Maple Falls to report on the new NHL team - the Ice Breakers. A stolen cart and a shared car ride she uncovers that the man next to her is one of the players she needs to interview. But to Asher this much more than just an interview and slowly he breaks through the walls Mabel has put up to block him out and things shift into a completely different story that she thought she was covering.

My Review: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Asher and Mabel! This book had the grumpy x sunshine trope and Mabel being the grump was so relatable, and Asher who tries so hard to have it all under control just so that his OCD doesn't control him. The vulnerability was so refreshing to see between these two, a woman who doesn't like letting her walls down and a man who doesn't want to be defined by his disorder. Finding comfort in each other when times are hard and embracing love. It was definitely a book that I really fell in love with. From stolen airport carts to chipped tooth rides to playful adventures and heartbreaking goodbyes. Only for in the end to get a happily ever after (of course). The chemistry was amazing but like with the last book in the series the ending felt rushed. There was a whole big goodbye just for in the end for Mabel to change her mind and follow her heart to both Asher and Mapel Falls. I wish I could've read about her thought process within that moment or leading up to the moment she announces she's staying and that she's choosing him. I also didn't like her grand gesture but that's on me and my personal preferences. Despite all that I did really enjoy this book and it deserves the 4 stars.

Quotes:

'It's knowing my routines help me feel in control, but also knowing they're controlling me.'

She leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek, and I close my eyes, memorizing the feel of her. "No grand gestures needed. Just be you, okay?"
"That's the grandest gesture I've got."'

I want to hold her here, keep her in this tiny bubble where it's just us, no decisions or distances pulling us apart. But bubbles don't last. They pop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Anne Kemp for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF
This book was not for me.
I wasn't a fan of the characters nor was I interested in the story.

We are back at Maple Hills Falls again and I love it. This is such a cute sweet romance novel. Would totally recommend along with other other books in this series.

Maple Falls is a small town you just want to be a part of. There are fun, quirky, sweet characters, and so much more to find. Mabel is coming back home for a quick work assignment and that first meet with Asher definitely caught her off guard. He's fun, sweet, and I felt his OCD was handled well. I loved the banter that the two of them have, the building of the friendship, even while she's determined to stay away. It's a fun read, with lovable characters, and is the perfect way to spend some time relaxing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Red Bird Publishing for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute story! I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope here, especially because the characters still had real depth and complex emotions. Asher and Mabel’s story had so much heart, and the way their relationship grew felt meaningful and authentic.

The representation of OCD and parent/child relationship struggles was really well done and added layers to the story.

Definitely my favorite book in the series so far!

I picked this up (as an arc) on a whim, craving something light but layered, and wow—Anne Kemp delivered a story that’s equal parts snark, sweetness, and small-town sparkle. From the first page, I was hooked by Mabel’s voice: she’s messy, magnetic, and gloriously sarcastic, the kind of fmc who doesn’t apologize for her sharp edges. And Asher? He’s the golden retriever energy wrapped in hockey gear I didn’t know I needed. Their dynamic is pure grumpy-sunshine gold, but what makes it sing is the emotional undercurrent beneath the banter.

Mabel’s return to Maple Falls isn’t just a plot device—it’s a reckoning. She’s dodging judgment, nursing old wounds, and trying to outrun a viral moment that still haunts her. Kemp doesn’t just skim the surface of embarrassment or regret; she lets Mabel stew in it, grow through it, and eventually reclaim her narrative. That’s what made this book feel so personal to me. It’s not just about falling in love—it’s about falling back into yourself.

And then there’s Asher. I loved that he wasn’t just a cardboard cutout of a dreamy athlete. He’s thoughtful, a little awkward, and refreshingly earnest. Watching him try to crack Mabel’s armor was like watching someone try to charm a cat—equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. Their chemistry is electric, but it’s the quiet moments—the shared glances, the reluctant confessions—that made me swoon.

The setting of Maple Falls is its own kind of magic. It’s quirky without being twee, and Kemp populates it with side characters who feel lived-in and lovable. I laughed out loud at the town gossip, teared up during a late-night porch scene, and wanted to move there by the end. Also, shoutout to the hockey subplot—it’s woven in with just the right amount of grit and glamor, adding stakes without overshadowing the romance.

What really impressed me was how clean this story was without ever feeling sanitized. The tension sizzles, the emotions run deep, and the payoff is so satisfying I actually clutched the book to my chest when I finished. No spice, but all the spark.

If you love:
-Enemies-to-lovers with emotional depth
-Small-town charm that doesn’t feel cliché
-A FMC who’s messy, mouthy, and magnificent
-A MMC who’s sweet, steady, and secretly swoony —then Checking Mr. Wrong is your next obsession.

Anne Kemp, you’ve officially earned a spot on my auto-buy list. I didn’t just read this book—I lived in it. And I’m already itching to go back.

Thank you to Netgalley and Red Bird Publishing
If you want a fall Hallmark movie in a book this is the one for you! I liked the play on the trope. She was the one from the town but also the grumpy one where as he was the new guy who fell in love with the town and all it's charm! I thought Mable was frustrating at times. She just did not want to listen to anyone about certain things and made up her own mind about them. Asher was your regular charming hockey guy we've seen before. Overall I thought this was a fun read! Perfect for a nice fall day with some hot chocolate!

Mabel and Asher what a pair from the run in at the airport to all the encounters they had with one another they are amazing. I enjoyed Mabel I thought what she did was great her mom was a little dramatic. Asher stole my heart you wanted him to overcome his impulses. He is relate-able in that sense. He is proving himself to others and to himself. They had great chemistry the book had me laughing out loud at times. Great story.

This book was a really cute read. I felt like the romance was kind of took forever to get there and then when we got there, it almost felt too rushed. it felt like there wasn’t a lot of conversation to make up for that organic feeling and honestly even his declaration at the end that he saw her with him forever seems very rushed, considering almost the limited amount of interactions they had but I did really enjoy the story and I liked the storyline. I just felt like there could’ve been more maybe even like 100 pages that added extra to the story to make it better.

I love Annie Kemp and this fictional town! Nothing overly unique or memorable but an easy closed door romance perfect for the season

Mable had an embarrassing thing happen on TV which made her lose her job. She is trying to rebuild and got an assignment in her home town interviewing the local hockey team. She meets Asher at the airport and they both have feelings pretty right off the bat. He has bad OCD and Mabel keeps him calm, even when he is spiraling. He is defiantly a golden retriever and she is very stubborn. I love how Asher treats her, knowing she is a tough nut to crack. This is a sweet and clean small town hockey romance that i loved and will recommend to everyone.

Checking Mr. Wrong is book 3 in the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series, a standalone with interconnected characters that you can jump into without reading the others first. And let me just say, I loved this reverse grumpy-sunshine romance!

The story follows Mabel McCluskey, a sarcastic and sharp-witted reporter who returns to her hometown of Maple Falls after a very public (and very viral) breakup. Assigned to cover the NHL’s newest team, the Ice Breakers, Mabel is all business until she meets Asher Tremblay. Asher is a golden retriever in human form: sweet, sincere, and charming. But beneath his sunshine exterior, he quietly struggles with OCD.

The dynamic between Mabel and Asher is everything. Asher gets under Mabel’s skin in the best way, and their back-and-forth banter had me genuinely laughing out loud. Despite their emotional baggage and trust issues, they help each other heal, challenge one another, and grow together. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their journey feels real and heartwarming.

One of the standout elements for me was how thoughtfully Asher’s OCD was portrayed. I loved how the story handles mental health with care and authenticity. I loved how Mabel supported him, and how Asher, in turn, was patient and kind as Mabel figured out what she truly wanted. Their relationship felt balanced, respectful, and full of mutual growth.

If you love:
🏒 Hockey hunks
☕ Pumpkin spice vibes
💬 Witty banter
🧣 Cozy small-town romance

Then Checking Mr. Wrong is for you. It’s a cute, quick read with lovable characters and tons of charm. Highly recommend!

thanks Netgalley, Anne Kemp, Xpresso Book Tours, and Red Bird Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange of my honest review!

I give this ARC read around 3 to 4 stars. It is a cozy ice hockey romance. A book that I couldnt out down. What makes it different from some other ice hockey romances is the autumn/maply hill subplot and the not so grumpy mmc.
I also really like the friendship between Cade and Asher, so definitley word the read!✨🍁

Checking Mr. Wrong was such a fun and charming read! Mabel is sarcastic, messy, and totally relatable, while Asher is the sweetest hockey player ever, seriously, he had me swooning from the start. Their banter was hilarious, and I loved the grumpy/sunshine vibe between them.
The story had just the right mix of humor, heart, and small-town charm. Even though it’s a sweet romance (no spice), the chemistry between Mabel and Asher jumped off the page. I also enjoyed the Maple Falls setting, it made me want to grab a coffee, curl up, and binge the whole series.
If you’re into hockey romances, forced proximity, or just want a feel-good romcom with lots of laughs and swoony moments, this one’s definitely worth checking out!

thank you netgalley for an arc of Checking Mr. Wrong by Anne Kemp

Amazing book loved the characters and plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.