Offside by Avery Keelan

If you’re looking for hockey, banter, and angst wrapped in a forbidden romance, Offside by Avery Keelan delivers. From the beginning, I was drawn into Chase and Bailey’s story. These two are the kind of characters you root for from page one. Their chemistry is electric, their banter feels effortless, and the tension simmering between them practically jumps off the page.

Chase is every bit the charming, cocky hockey player, but there’s heart under all that swagger. He’s navigating a “fantasy” personal life while trying to be the good guy, which is hard to do when your rival’s little sister suddenly becomes impossible to ignore. Bailey is easy to love: sharp, driven, and dealing with the fallout of a brutal breakup that left her questioning everything. Watching her come into her own and reevaluate the people around her added emotional weight to the story in a way I really appreciated.

The on-ice moments feel authentic and bring a satisfying layer of realism to Chase’s (and Bailey’s) world.

The emotional push and pull between the main characters is equally strong. And both Chase and Bailey do some much-needed soul searching. Bailey’s journey, in particular, stood out as she realizes that some of the people closest to her might not have had her back all along.

That said, I did feel like the book was a little too long. While I appreciated the character development and emotional arcs, the pacing lagged in spots, and a tighter edit could have kept the momentum stronger without losing any of the story’s depth.

Still, Offside by Avery Keelan is a strong start to a hockey romance series, packed with feels, emotional growth, and all the angsty tension you could want. If you’re a fan of forbidden romance and slow-burn chemistry with a satisfying payoff, this one’s worth checking out.

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