Hockey romances are one of my weaknesses and I realized I don’t think I’ve read many YA hockey romances. Heart Check caught my eye and I had a feeling this was going to love this one. Let’s talk about this book and my thoughts!
A big thank you to Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an eARC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way.
A star hockey player and his biggest critic must reexamine their assumptions about each other when forced to work together at an after-school job in this feel-good young adult rom-com debut about breaking the ice—featuring stenciled sprayed edges!
Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon could have been friends. They trade shifts at the same diner, share classes at school, and are driven by their greatest passions: hockey for Dawson and jewelry-making for Harper. But some things aren’t meant to be. Dawson thinks Harper is stuck-up, too good for anything resembling school spirit. Harper thinks Dawson is a self-centered jock, a perfect fit for a hockey team that seems to absorb all the budget away from the arts departments.
When his beloved hockey coach gets fired for misallocation of funds, Dawson is terrified that all his plans for impressing scouts are vanishing before his eyes. A rumor goes around that Harper was the one who got him fired, and suddenly she’s public enemy number one.
But even with their mutual dislike at an all-time high, Harper and Dawson can’t escape splitting shifts forever. Can forced proximity help them find some common ground, or will long-held grudges finally succeed in bringing them both down?
Review
I’m in my sports romance era and especially hockey romances, so Heart Check caught my eye immediately. I believe this is also my first YA hockey romance and it didn’t disappoint. I read Heart Check in one sitting.
Heart Check isn’t just a hockey romance and I really appreciated that. Harper and Dawson are two hardworking high school students fighting for their dreams. She wants to start a jewelry business and is hoping for a scholarship for just that and Dawson would love to become a professional hockey player. When the hockey coach is fired, they blame Harper because she thinks the hockey team gets too much attention and isn’t exactly a fan. And that’s where this story starts: a lot of assumptions. Both Dawson and Harper think a lot of things about the other that aren’t true. It’s just something they believe. I feel like the author did a great job of making that one of the focuses of the story. Don’t judge a book by its cover. There could be a lot more to it than you think.
Then we can’t forget the blooming romance between these two. I enjoyed that Dawson and Harper started getting to know each other first. It wasn’t some instant attraction and both were even worried about what their feelings would mean. They both had me smiling while I was reading their story and I’m glad I picked this one up. I’m excited to see what the author gives us next in this series.
Even though I don’t follow sports at all, I’m a big fan of sports romances. Hockey the most if I’m being honest. If you enjoy sports romances, do you have a favorite sport you like to read about? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
