The Perfect Hockey Romance for Summer
Big Stick Energy
New York Legends Hockey
Romance
Forever
June 30, 2026
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
360
Darcy Kendrick is used to putting out fires. As an overworked admin to a hockey team, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for accidentally DMing her very private, very NSFW fantasy to the subject of this fantasy: team captain Eric Tremaine. Nobody actually dies of embarrassment. Right?
But when a wedding invite puts them on a collision course with her chaotic family and his emotionally fraught past, Eric suggests a plan: they fake-date their way through the “Wedding Experience.” It’s mutually beneficial. Totally strategic. And definitely not real. Except between mini tacos, slow dances and lingering glances, Eric starts to wonder if the sharp-tongued assistant with a bottomless to-do list might be the one person who truly sees him. And for Darcy? The fire in her heart might be the only one she can’t put out.
It’s supposed to be fake. It’s supposed to be temporary. So why is it so hard to walk away?
Light The Lamp for Sarina Bowen!
“Big Stick Energy” has everything I could ever want in a romance: fake dating, our MCs having each others’ backs, epic declarations of love.
Sarina shoots, Sarina scores.
Bowen’s writing is seemingly effortless. I know that’s not true and authors work hard AF, so it’s definitely a compliment to her skill. There’s such a smooth delivery in the way her books are written. I opened the book to read a few pages and accidentally read 60% on day 1.
Prolific Writer Keeps Things Fresh
I love how with every book we get to see a new side of characters’ personalities. I never would have thought that Eric Tremaine was such a golden retriever of a man, but as soon as I read one page of his POV I was smitten. He’s very different from the first impression we get of him in “Thrown for a Loop”. Darcy is fabulous and deserves to be the center of someone’s universe, and I’m so glad Eric got it together and was there for her. Give that boy a point.
Is there a romance writer Stanley Cup? Sarina Bowen deserves it. She’s the real CEO here. (Iykyk)
Thank you to Forever for the arc in exchange for an honest review. If you’d like more paragraphs about me gushing about how much I love Sarina Bowen I’d be happy to provide them at any time.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
