This is forbidden romance done right. Sadie is Leo’s coach, and yes, that dynamic could have gone very wrong, but it never does. Livy Hart expertly navigates that line with care, intention, and emotional depth, making you fully root for Sadie and Leo every step of the way. It feels earned, respectful, and deeply satisfying.

This is also a true grumpy/sunshine pairing. Leo is absolutely not thrilled to be chatted up by Sadie or casually befriended by her at first, which makes their dynamic even better. The attraction is there immediately, but this is a slower burn, letting the tension, trust, and emotional connection build in a way that feels authentic and swoon-worthy.

And the banter? Elite. Top-tier. Livy Hart knows exactly how to make you swoon and laugh out loud. I was genuinely cracking up during multiple moments. Those perfectly timed lines that sneak up on you and make you grin like an idiot.

One of my favorite things about Livy’s books is the family element, and Dirty Hit delivers. Bringing in Leo’s twin siblings and family was such a sweet, grounding touch that added so much heart to the story. It made Leo feel fully formed and deeply lovable.

I also loved the team arc in this book. Watching a fractured hockey team slowly come together under Sadie’s patient, thoughtful coaching was incredibly satisfying. Seeing them grow into a real team that learns to trust and rely on one another added real emotional weight and depth to the story.

The side characters? MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY. Every single one of them. Assistant coach and BFF extraordinaire Vivi absolutely stole scenes, and I am begging for her to get her own book. There are so many standout hockey players on this team, and I am fully seated for stories about all of them. Please and thank you.

Dirty Hit has everything you adore from Livy Hart:
✨ top tier banter
✨ chemistry that jumps off the page
✨ laugh out loud moments
✨ heartfelt family dynamics
✨ a hockey romance that truly delivers

Livy Hart is officially in her hockey romance era, and I am HERE for it. This is hockey romance done right. Please let this be a series because I am ready for another one immediately!

Thank you to Entangled publishing for the eArc. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! I love a female coach who is so super sunshiney; her middle name is Lemon! I love a grumpy hockey player who’s hiding an injury and finds himself drawn to the happiest person in the room. There’s a rag tag team that eventually gets it together and terrible men who finally get their comeuppance!

Dirty Hit has the perfect balance of romance, odd ball side characters and actual hockey knowledge. The relationship between Sadie and Leo was wonderfully done and they really stepped up for each other when it was needed the most. I also loved Sadie and Viv and I feel like they made a great coaching team.

This is a perfect sports romance with lots of humor, spice and enough terrible behavior from men that will have you seething.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

Livy Hart always does right by the romance genre, and her entry into sports romance with DIRTY HIT is no different. Livy is the queen of banter, the queen of brilliant one-liners, the queen of propulsive plotlines that keep you flipping pages until there are no pages left to flip. I absolutely devoured this book while pre-mourning the end, because the reality is that I'd read an infinitely long book about Sadie and Leo if it were possible (alas). As always, Livy's secondary cast of characters are full-bodied, hilarious, and so dynamic.

In the immortal words of Britney Spears, gimme gimme more—I canNOT wait for more hockey romance goodness from Miss Livy Hart!

I am nothing if not a Livy Hart stan, and this newest release—a sports romance vs her usual contemporary standalones—delivered all the things I’ve come to love about her writing:

-Well developed characters (main and side)
-Witty dialogue that feels real
-TENSION TENSION TENSION
-A really satisfying ending

While hockey romance isn’t one of my go-to subgenres, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series (please be Vivi’s story)! I’m interested to see how Ivan and Isla’s stories turn out as well. Can’t wait to read more!

Dirty Hit is my kind of sports romance: wholesome, a plot that keeps you interested, characters that you'll love, and a story that plays out beautifully from beginning to end.
One thing that I really love here is the relationship between Sadie and Leo. At the start they're only coach × player, and within that dynamic, a flicker of attraction develops into undeniable chemistry, and the forbidden aspect has the tension ratcheted up to even higher levels.
I love a great secondary cast too: the rest of the hockey team, the staff, friends and family add their own to this story, and will have you already thinking ahead of who will be the leads in the next books!
The Ted Lasso vibes are absolutely on point - Sadie is a brilliant coach with her heart in the right place, and does things differently.
Livy Hart is indisputably in her hockey romance era, and I cannot wait to read more from this new series!