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Windy City #1
Mile High
ZANDERS
Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.
What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.
But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.
STEVIE
I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.
Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.
Everything but him.
Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.
What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.
But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.
STEVIE
I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.
Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.
Everything but him.
603 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2022
About the author
Liz Tomforde
9 books18.1k followersLiz Tomforde writes sports romance novels that depict realistic and healthy relationships. Her books offer a mix of witty banter and real-life struggles. Her heroes are alpha yet vulnerable, and her heroines are strong.
Born and raised in Northern California, Liz is the youngest of five children. She loves all things romance, traveling, dogs, and hockey.
When she's not traveling or writing, Liz can be found reading a good book or taking her Golden Retriever, Luke, on a hike in her hometown in Sonoma County, CA.
Born and raised in Northern California, Liz is the youngest of five children. She loves all things romance, traveling, dogs, and hockey.
When she's not traveling or writing, Liz can be found reading a good book or taking her Golden Retriever, Luke, on a hike in her hometown in Sonoma County, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31,478 reviews
May 16, 2023
Unpopular opinion: This book was just okay and not worth the hype for me.
I desperately wanted this to be a 5-star read! ☹️
Before I tell you why this didn’t work for me, let me tell you the things that I did like.
•Stevie and Zander. Their chemistry was amazing and I can’t fault that. The banter, the dialogue, everything about them together worked.
•Zander’s conversation with his father had me crying. The way his relationship with his father came around… 😢.
•Maddison, Logan and their entire family. I need their story!! 😭
So, technically this should’ve worked because I’m always interested in the characters first when it comes to a story. And if I like them, I like the book.
But that wasn’t the case here. And whilst this had a strong beginning, it started to go downhill for me in the second half. The flaws became far too glaring.
1. There was absolutely no need for it to have been this long. 600 pages? Why? This should’ve been 200 pages shorter or more.
2. I’m not sure if I’m the only one that felt this, but I had a hard time picturing the characters as Black main characters, even though they were. I’m faulting the writing. I pictured them as white the entire time. And when I’m reading a book that includes Black characters, I want to feel that intrinsically.
3. It became repetitive and far too longwinded. By the 70% mark I was ready for it to be over. 😑
4. Things got a bit cheesy for my taste towards the end.
5. There was opportunity for more therapy elements to have been incorporated into the story, especially when things went downhill for Zander, but it was missed. Which I don’t understand, since therapy did play a significant role in the story.
6. The third-act conflict dragged. I mean, it dragged! Rolling-my-eyes-dragged. 🙄
7. I didn’t understand the role he was forced to play for that long? Probably because I have zero interests in sports.
8. I wish we had more insight with regards to the mental health organisation he ran with his friend, Maddison.
I’ll be reading book 2 (but not for a whiiile), since I liked the characters that were introduced and people seem to love it more, but I’m keeping my expectations neutral.
But, this won’t be a book I will remember. 😬🤷🏾♀️
I desperately wanted this to be a 5-star read! ☹️
Before I tell you why this didn’t work for me, let me tell you the things that I did like.
•Stevie and Zander. Their chemistry was amazing and I can’t fault that. The banter, the dialogue, everything about them together worked.
•Zander’s conversation with his father had me crying. The way his relationship with his father came around… 😢.
•Maddison, Logan and their entire family. I need their story!! 😭
So, technically this should’ve worked because I’m always interested in the characters first when it comes to a story. And if I like them, I like the book.
But that wasn’t the case here. And whilst this had a strong beginning, it started to go downhill for me in the second half. The flaws became far too glaring.
1. There was absolutely no need for it to have been this long. 600 pages? Why? This should’ve been 200 pages shorter or more.
2. I’m not sure if I’m the only one that felt this, but I had a hard time picturing the characters as Black main characters, even though they were. I’m faulting the writing. I pictured them as white the entire time. And when I’m reading a book that includes Black characters, I want to feel that intrinsically.
3. It became repetitive and far too longwinded. By the 70% mark I was ready for it to be over. 😑
4. Things got a bit cheesy for my taste towards the end.
5. There was opportunity for more therapy elements to have been incorporated into the story, especially when things went downhill for Zander, but it was missed. Which I don’t understand, since therapy did play a significant role in the story.
6. The third-act conflict dragged. I mean, it dragged! Rolling-my-eyes-dragged. 🙄
7. I didn’t understand the role he was forced to play for that long? Probably because I have zero interests in sports.
8. I wish we had more insight with regards to the mental health organisation he ran with his friend, Maddison.
I’ll be reading book 2 (but not for a whiiile), since I liked the characters that were introduced and people seem to love it more, but I’m keeping my expectations neutral.
But, this won’t be a book I will remember. 😬🤷🏾♀️
December 3, 2022
THERE ARENT ENOUGH WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Stevie is one of my favorite mc’s of all time. She was my favorite part of the entire book. & Zander is the perfect mix of confident, protective + emotional + hot? idk. amazing.
The plus size rep, the diversity, the open conversations about therapy & mental health, the banter, the spice, the romance.. goodbye. 🫶🏻
i don’t have a single complaint. the only issue is that it’s over. 😃 also the side characters were amazing!!!! indy? sos. queen.
I NEED RYAN’S BOOK NOW.
“you following me?”
“vee and zee. aren’t we fcking adorable?”
Stevie is one of my favorite mc’s of all time. She was my favorite part of the entire book. & Zander is the perfect mix of confident, protective + emotional + hot? idk. amazing.
The plus size rep, the diversity, the open conversations about therapy & mental health, the banter, the spice, the romance.. goodbye. 🫶🏻
i don’t have a single complaint. the only issue is that it’s over. 😃 also the side characters were amazing!!!! indy? sos. queen.
I NEED RYAN’S BOOK NOW.
“you following me?”
“vee and zee. aren’t we fcking adorable?”
September 15, 2022
a bit long for my liking but anyways more black girls in hockey romances thank youuu
September 27, 2023
★ 1.75 stars
I’M FINALLY FREE!!! this was one of the most boring books i’ve ever read. i wanted to dnf it so many times, but i stubbornly forced myself to finish it — why? i don’t know. guess i was waiting for it to get good, but as you can see, it never did. anyway... let’s get into it. this review is going to be a little long, so buckle up.
there are a few spoilers here, so don’t read this review if you don’t want to be spoiled!
first, let’s talk about one of my biggest issues with Mile High: the length. this book is over 600 PAGES LONG, and i really can’t see why. that’s extremely unnecessary. Liz Tomforde, with all due respect: get an editor. please! there were multiple scenes that didn’t add anything to the story, so this book could’ve (and should’ve) easily been 250 pages shorter. i don’t know if anyone would agree with me on this, but there’s literally no reason for a contemporary romance to have more than 500 pages. that should be a crime. i mean, i guess some might work if there’s a nice plot and interesting main characters — but that was definitely not the case with this one. the plot was... i’m sorry, is there even a plot? i didn’t feel like there was one. this book is marketed as a hockey romance and yet we had like one scene of the MMC playing hockey if i’m not mistaken. and the main characters were bland, they honestly didn’t interest me that much.
Stevie: was she an amazing character? no. but she was not really a terrible character either. there were times that she was funny and bold, and i kind of liked that. there’s also the fact that she’s plus size and i really think the author did a nice job of portraying her insecurities with her body. but, those things aside, there is nothing else to say about her. at the beginning of the book, i thought she had potential to be a great and remarkable character, but she isn’t. as i said, i don’t hate Stevie and i don’t think she’s terrible, but in general, she’s not a character that i’d call interesting.
and i have to mention that she was kind of giving i’m not like other girls at times. she drinks beer constantly, only buys thrifted clothes (even though she has money) and uses stained sweatpants and dirty sneakers almost all the time. she’s so different, right? and the weirdest thing is that there’s this scene where she goes out in the street with mustard in her chin — and yes, she’s aware, but she doesn’t even bother to wipe it. like, hello?!
Zanders: i was reading a few reviews and i noticed that almost everyone who has read this book is obsessed with this man, so i’m definitely in the minority here. i don’t hate him, but i don’t love him either. well... if i’m being honest, i hated him in the first half. he was absolutely insufferable and annoying at the beginning of the book. i swear, not even 10 pages in and the guy was already pissing me off. instead of explain with my own words, i’m gonna put some quotes here and you’ll understand why he annoyed me so much.
sir, you’re a grown ass adult, act like one.
mind you, this was just because in their first interaction he assumed she wanted an autograph, but she actually didn’t, so he got offended. how pathetic. 🙄
the worst in my opinion is that he had a list of all the the women he’s slept with in his notes app — and it was organized by city. it gets worse: he also described what they were like sexually. that’s beyond weird.
but hey! apparently, he’s not a misogynistic asshole who doesn’t care about women! it was actually a PR stunt! shocking.
his agent pushed this narrative to make him gain more money and popularity, and it worked pretty well. he also needs to maintain this “playboy image” because he’s convinced it’ll help him get his contract renewed with the Chicago Raptors, the hockey team he plays for.
to be fair, i don’t know why the author came up with this lame storyline. it doesn’t even make sense, why would his hockey team use his personal life to determine whether or not to renew his contract? be so for real. yeah, we discover at the end that it was all a lie from his agent, but still. and he might not be the bad boy that the media paints him to be — but he’s far from a saint.
he gets “better”(less insufferable) after a few chapters, which is obviously predictable so i don’t know why i’m saying this. and, even though i’m not Zander’s biggest fan, i can admit that there was a few nice things about his character:
1. he’s a co-founder of a charity foundation that supports underprivileged young athletes who don’t have the mental health resources they need.
2. the bare minimum, i know — but he never made Stevie feel insecure, and he was always worshipping her and trying to help her with her insecurities.
3. Stevie volunteered at a senior dog shelter, and there was this doberman there, Rosie, who had been there for almost a year. even though Stevie loved Rosie, she couldn’t adopt her because she was living with her brother who was allergic, but Zanders ended up adopting her. i found that really sweet. he also made a big and helpful donation to the shelter.
4.. he had a cute relationship with his best friend/teammate’s child, Ella. we didn’t get much scenes of them together but i enjoyed the ones we got.
and that’s about it.
the romance left much to be desired. did Stevie and Zanders had cute moments throughout the book? yes, and they had a bit of chemistry too. but overall, i felt like their relationship was lacking something. it wasn’t captivating, it wasn’t very well executed and sometimes gave me major ✨wattpad✨ vibes, they had so many cringe scenes i won’t even bother to quote them here. and there wasn’t enough buildup in my opinion, not even 15% in and they were already lusting over each other, and they slept together at 27%. it was so rushed. and there’s a third act breakup, which i don’t like,i mean, who does? and it dragged on for too long. their relationship was going well, but for a stupid reason he decided to break up things with her at 75% — so we had more than 120 pages of unnecessary drama and pathetic scenes that could’ve been avoided if they just communicated to each other. but of course, they don’t know how to do that! the lack of communication between them made me struggle so hard to read the last few chapters. seriously, imagine how tired i was.
all in all, i did not enjoy this book, not even a bit. i’m extremely disappointed because i had high expectations after seeing a lot of people loving it. i guess it was just not for me. i’ve heard the second book is way better than this one — it’s about Indy Ivers (Stevie’s friend) and Ryan Shay (Stevie’s brother). however, i’m not really sure if i’ll give it a chance. i liked Indy, she was a funny character, and Ryan seemed to be a nice guy, but i’m not excited to read their story. let’s see if i’ll change my mind eventually.
I’M FINALLY FREE!!! this was one of the most boring books i’ve ever read. i wanted to dnf it so many times, but i stubbornly forced myself to finish it — why? i don’t know. guess i was waiting for it to get good, but as you can see, it never did. anyway... let’s get into it. this review is going to be a little long, so buckle up.
there are a few spoilers here, so don’t read this review if you don’t want to be spoiled!
first, let’s talk about one of my biggest issues with Mile High: the length. this book is over 600 PAGES LONG, and i really can’t see why. that’s extremely unnecessary. Liz Tomforde, with all due respect: get an editor. please! there were multiple scenes that didn’t add anything to the story, so this book could’ve (and should’ve) easily been 250 pages shorter. i don’t know if anyone would agree with me on this, but there’s literally no reason for a contemporary romance to have more than 500 pages. that should be a crime. i mean, i guess some might work if there’s a nice plot and interesting main characters — but that was definitely not the case with this one. the plot was... i’m sorry, is there even a plot? i didn’t feel like there was one. this book is marketed as a hockey romance and yet we had like one scene of the MMC playing hockey if i’m not mistaken. and the main characters were bland, they honestly didn’t interest me that much.
Stevie: was she an amazing character? no. but she was not really a terrible character either. there were times that she was funny and bold, and i kind of liked that. there’s also the fact that she’s plus size and i really think the author did a nice job of portraying her insecurities with her body. but, those things aside, there is nothing else to say about her. at the beginning of the book, i thought she had potential to be a great and remarkable character, but she isn’t. as i said, i don’t hate Stevie and i don’t think she’s terrible, but in general, she’s not a character that i’d call interesting.
and i have to mention that she was kind of giving i’m not like other girls at times. she drinks beer constantly, only buys thrifted clothes (even though she has money) and uses stained sweatpants and dirty sneakers almost all the time. she’s so different, right? and the weirdest thing is that there’s this scene where she goes out in the street with mustard in her chin — and yes, she’s aware, but she doesn’t even bother to wipe it. like, hello?!
Zanders: i was reading a few reviews and i noticed that almost everyone who has read this book is obsessed with this man, so i’m definitely in the minority here. i don’t hate him, but i don’t love him either. well... if i’m being honest, i hated him in the first half. he was absolutely insufferable and annoying at the beginning of the book. i swear, not even 10 pages in and the guy was already pissing me off. instead of explain with my own words, i’m gonna put some quotes here and you’ll understand why he annoyed me so much.
“There’s a different kind of thrill when it comes to pussy on the road. The unknown of who it’ll be, the excitement of where it’ll happen, the satisfaction that I don’t have to see them ever again if I don’t want to. That’s how I like it.”
“My Instagram is already flooded with messages from my Tennessee roster, and I can guarantee that if I want, my dick will be buried deep inside one of them tonight.”
“Her eyes are probably the most interesting pair I’ve ever seen, and her body is perfectly full, with plenty to grab onto. But unfortunately, her pretty outside that I like is tainted by the attitude I don’t like.”
“Why doesn’t she want to talk to me?
Just being honest here, I’ve never had someone refuse my attention.”
sir, you’re a grown ass adult, act like one.
“She might need a reminder that she’s working for me, but I’ll make sure she understands. I’m petty that way. I’ll remember that little interaction for as long as she’s on my airplane.”
mind you, this was just because in their first interaction he assumed she wanted an autograph, but she actually didn’t, so he got offended. how pathetic. 🙄
the worst in my opinion is that he had a list of all the the women he’s slept with in his notes app — and it was organized by city. it gets worse: he also described what they were like sexually. that’s beyond weird.
“Apparently, Carrie was a great lay with a fantastic rack, and Ashley gave one hell of a blowjob.”
but hey! apparently, he’s not a misogynistic asshole who doesn’t care about women! it was actually a PR stunt! shocking.
“People eat this shit up. We play it up for the media, but the truth is I’m not the piece of shit people think I am. I care about a lot more than just the women I take home from the arena.”
his agent pushed this narrative to make him gain more money and popularity, and it worked pretty well. he also needs to maintain this “playboy image” because he’s convinced it’ll help him get his contract renewed with the Chicago Raptors, the hockey team he plays for.
“Whenever you’re ready to let people know you’re not the dickhead they all think you are, you let me know, and we’ll stop the act.”
“Nah, I’m still enjoying it,” I tell him honestly. “I gotta get that renewed contract by the end of the season, so until then, we have to keep it going.”
to be fair, i don’t know why the author came up with this lame storyline. it doesn’t even make sense, why would his hockey team use his personal life to determine whether or not to renew his contract? be so for real. yeah, we discover at the end that it was all a lie from his agent, but still. and he might not be the bad boy that the media paints him to be — but he’s far from a saint.
he gets “better”
1. he’s a co-founder of a charity foundation that supports underprivileged young athletes who don’t have the mental health resources they need.
2. the bare minimum, i know — but he never made Stevie feel insecure, and he was always worshipping her and trying to help her with her insecurities.
3. Stevie volunteered at a senior dog shelter, and there was this doberman there, Rosie, who had been there for almost a year. even though Stevie loved Rosie, she couldn’t adopt her because she was living with her brother who was allergic, but Zanders ended up adopting her. i found that really sweet. he also made a big and helpful donation to the shelter.
4.. he had a cute relationship with his best friend/teammate’s child, Ella. we didn’t get much scenes of them together but i enjoyed the ones we got.
and that’s about it.
the romance left much to be desired. did Stevie and Zanders had cute moments throughout the book? yes, and they had a bit of chemistry too. but overall, i felt like their relationship was lacking something. it wasn’t captivating, it wasn’t very well executed and sometimes gave me major ✨wattpad✨ vibes, they had so many cringe scenes i won’t even bother to quote them here. and there wasn’t enough buildup in my opinion, not even 15% in and they were already lusting over each other, and they slept together at 27%. it was so rushed. and there’s a third act breakup, which i don’t like,
all in all, i did not enjoy this book, not even a bit. i’m extremely disappointed because i had high expectations after seeing a lot of people loving it. i guess it was just not for me. i’ve heard the second book is way better than this one — it’s about Indy Ivers (Stevie’s friend) and Ryan Shay (Stevie’s brother). however, i’m not really sure if i’ll give it a chance. i liked Indy, she was a funny character, and Ryan seemed to be a nice guy, but i’m not excited to read their story. let’s see if i’ll change my mind eventually.
August 24, 2023
what an utter disappointment and I blame all of you who hyped this book up for me..
hero has a notes app where he rates his sexual partners across the country so he knows who to pick for hookup when he is visiting those cities for his games
but he is in therapy we are reminded of it a lot, which I am a little suspicious, ten years of therapy
dude you are owed some kind of refund because it is not looking good...
and heroine and her small work clothes because her weight is fluctuating, also something we are reminded of all the time, you know she has to be squeezed into her clothes, there is no chance for her to I don't know, get bigger size
but don't worry she is not like other girls with her constant fast food eating and hanging out in ratty sweats
listen, if you want long-winded repetitive sports romance with not any storyline regarding sports and romance between man whore hero and pick me heroine well, then sure read this book...
hero has a notes app where he rates his sexual partners across the country so he knows who to pick for hookup when he is visiting those cities for his games
but he is in therapy we are reminded of it a lot, which I am a little suspicious, ten years of therapy
dude you are owed some kind of refund because it is not looking good...
and heroine and her small work clothes because her weight is fluctuating, also something we are reminded of all the time, you know she has to be squeezed into her clothes, there is no chance for her to I don't know, get bigger size
but don't worry she is not like other girls with her constant fast food eating and hanging out in ratty sweats
listen, if you want long-winded repetitive sports romance with not any storyline regarding sports and romance between man whore hero and pick me heroine well, then sure read this book...
November 15, 2024
3.75 stars
This is definitely one of the best sports romance I have ever read. I get easily bored when it comes to this genre but I really enjoyed this book a lot even if it is 600 plus pages long. Yes, it could've been atleast 50 to 80 pages short but Stevie and Zanders were just so cute that I didn't wanted to stop reading about them. This book is a perfect balance of cute, wholesomeness, emotional and heartwarming moments.
The starting was amazing with stevie being such a badass to Zanders and not giving a shit about his public image. Their banter was top notch, the sexual tension was hot, their obsession with each other had me swooning. Everything was great except that third-act breakup. I also loved the found family moments of Zander and Madison's family. The way they both cared for each other and their families. I really need to read Madison and Logan's book!
➸ Stevie Shay
She's such a badass girl with the most kind and selfless personality. I loved everything about her. Her insecurities about her body and her career were so real and heartbreaking. The author did an amazing job writing a plus size heroine who's also bold but also a bit insecured about herself and how others see her and Stevie's growth was slow but realistic.
It's not that she didn't love herself—she did loved herself but it was other's opinions about her body that get to her especially her mother's. She also hated being her brother's shadow and always wanted someone to know her and love her for her only and Zanders is that person for her. I liked how she developed confidence about her body and how Zanders was there to help her and love her on her bad days.
➸ Evan Zanders
I kinda hated him in the start. I mean he was behaving like this playboy and territorial man but his character grew up on me as the story progressed. He hides his real self behind this playboy facade of “new girl, new day” but behind all that he's just a sweet, kind-hearted and caring man who would anything for his found family and his little niece even if it means dressing up as Elsa for Halloween. Zanders had abandonment issues that's why he never showed his real self to his fans, he thinks he's not lovable because his own mother left him. He loved himself but he never let anyone love him until Stevie. I liked his character development and how he tried to make things right with his father and how he dealt with his insecurities.
╰┈➤ Stevie & Zanders
Stevie and Zanders are perfect for each other. Stevie who was never anyone's first choice, first option and Zanders who never had anyone in his life who could love him unconditionally. Zanders who made her his first and his only choice and Stevie who loves him with all her heart. I loved how Zanders made sure she felt comfortable in her body, complemented her, praised her, loved her and worshipped her. And the mirror scene where she told him all the insecurities she has about her body and he tells he loves all of her was just so precious and beautiful. He was so fixated on her the moment they met and the way he always tried to get a rise out of her because Stevie didn't give a shit about him being an NHL player. Zanders won my heart when he tried to follow her to her apartment late at night and they weren't even friends at that time but he just wanted to protect her.
The ending felt like it was dragged on for long. That third-act breakup was way too long for my liking and it's one of the major issues for my 4 stars raring for this book. The breakup was reasonable and needed for Zander to finally reconcile with his father and his abandonment issues and I liked how everything was ended. I can't wait to read about them in the next books because I think I am a little obsessed with Vee and Zee and this series! Can't wait for Ryan's book because he's already my favourite man in this series!
“I love road games.” — Zanders in chapter 1
“I hate road games.” — Zanders in epilogue
“You following me?”
A light laugh flows through him. “You have no idea, Stevie girl.”
This is definitely one of the best sports romance I have ever read. I get easily bored when it comes to this genre but I really enjoyed this book a lot even if it is 600 plus pages long. Yes, it could've been atleast 50 to 80 pages short but Stevie and Zanders were just so cute that I didn't wanted to stop reading about them. This book is a perfect balance of cute, wholesomeness, emotional and heartwarming moments.
“So, ‘Vee’, huh?”
“It’s a family nickname.”
“My family nickname is Zee. Vee and Zee. Aren’t we fucking adorable?
The starting was amazing with stevie being such a badass to Zanders and not giving a shit about his public image. Their banter was top notch, the sexual tension was hot, their obsession with each other had me swooning. Everything was great except that third-act breakup. I also loved the found family moments of Zander and Madison's family. The way they both cared for each other and their families. I really need to read Madison and Logan's book!
“Oh fuck. My heart. The words. The girl. It all makes my heart race.”
“Stevie girl, I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“You’re my first choice, Vee. My only choice.”
➸ Stevie Shay
She's such a badass girl with the most kind and selfless personality. I loved everything about her. Her insecurities about her body and her career were so real and heartbreaking. The author did an amazing job writing a plus size heroine who's also bold but also a bit insecured about herself and how others see her and Stevie's growth was slow but realistic.
It's not that she didn't love herself—she did loved herself but it was other's opinions about her body that get to her especially her mother's. She also hated being her brother's shadow and always wanted someone to know her and love her for her only and Zanders is that person for her. I liked how she developed confidence about her body and how Zanders was there to help her and love her on her bad days.
“You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t.”
➸ Evan Zanders
I kinda hated him in the start. I mean he was behaving like this playboy and territorial man but his character grew up on me as the story progressed. He hides his real self behind this playboy facade of “new girl, new day” but behind all that he's just a sweet, kind-hearted and caring man who would anything for his found family and his little niece even if it means dressing up as Elsa for Halloween. Zanders had abandonment issues that's why he never showed his real self to his fans, he thinks he's not lovable because his own mother left him. He loved himself but he never let anyone love him until Stevie. I liked his character development and how he tried to make things right with his father and how he dealt with his insecurities.
“You'll always be my first choice. Have been since the day I met you, sweetheart.”
╰┈➤ Stevie & Zanders
Stevie and Zanders are perfect for each other. Stevie who was never anyone's first choice, first option and Zanders who never had anyone in his life who could love him unconditionally. Zanders who made her his first and his only choice and Stevie who loves him with all her heart. I loved how Zanders made sure she felt comfortable in her body, complemented her, praised her, loved her and worshipped her. And the mirror scene where she told him all the insecurities she has about her body and he tells he loves all of her was just so precious and beautiful. He was so fixated on her the moment they met and the way he always tried to get a rise out of her because Stevie didn't give a shit about him being an NHL player. Zanders won my heart when he tried to follow her to her apartment late at night and they weren't even friends at that time but he just wanted to protect her.
“I fell in love with you while we were miles high in the air, and im begging you to love me back.”
The ending felt like it was dragged on for long. That third-act breakup was way too long for my liking and it's one of the major issues for my 4 stars raring for this book. The breakup was reasonable and needed for Zander to finally reconcile with his father and his abandonment issues and I liked how everything was ended. I can't wait to read about them in the next books because I think I am a little obsessed with Vee and Zee and this series! Can't wait for Ryan's book because he's already my favourite man in this series!
“I love road games.” — Zanders in chapter 1
“I hate road games.” — Zanders in epilogue
July 29, 2023
It was okay, but nothing I have not read before. Am kinda conflicted as there were parts I did enjoy, and parts I did not care about.
Starting with the writing- it was average, a bit like The Fine Print, the characters' traits, the dialogues and the tone of the book heavily reminded me of that. It easily could have been a minimum of 200 pages short. It was too wordy at times and I was tempted to skim. It started off meh, had a strong middle and then the third act breakup messed it up. Although what interestingly worked was the pace of the book, it was fast which I appreciated.
Coming to the characters- Stevie and Zanders. They were meh, quite forgettable tbh. As individuals they do not shine, especially Stevie. Tho I did appreciate the author bringing out her insecurities, vulnerability, there was not much else to her. She was the love interest to Zanders. Zanders gave the typical "I'm not like other guys" vibes on and off throughout the book. It's his personality conflict that makes him a very inconsistent character. He does have his sweet moments tho, which I liked.
The supporting characters- Indy, was the most annoying character in this book for me. The way she talks is just so damn immature, it irked me a lot. Maddison and his whole family were sweet. Ryan is another character I liked.
The romance started off strongly insta lusty, which I was not a fan of. Considering it is a 600+ pages book, a slow burn would have worked far better. The chemistry between Stevie and Zanders starts off rocky due to the insta lust, it felt forced. Towards the middle, when things slow down and they take the time to get to know each other, that's when I liked the two as a couple. The moments where the two encourage each other and support the honest and open communication was something I liked. The sexual tension is okay-ish. The spice is well written. Okay, this might sound am nitpicking but I hated their nicknames for each other, Zee and Vee 🤢 I just did not vibe with the nicknames at all, especially whenever Zanders called her "Stevie girl," like the first 3-4 times it was okay, but soon turned to be too much.
The third act breakup was so petty, it just came across as the author wrote it for the sake of it. The ending was sweet tho. Overall, an okay-ish read, too overhyped imo.
~•~•~
Bro why is this book 600+ pages long
Starting with the writing- it was average, a bit like The Fine Print, the characters' traits, the dialogues and the tone of the book heavily reminded me of that. It easily could have been a minimum of 200 pages short. It was too wordy at times and I was tempted to skim. It started off meh, had a strong middle and then the third act breakup messed it up. Although what interestingly worked was the pace of the book, it was fast which I appreciated.
Coming to the characters- Stevie and Zanders. They were meh, quite forgettable tbh. As individuals they do not shine, especially Stevie. Tho I did appreciate the author bringing out her insecurities, vulnerability, there was not much else to her. She was the love interest to Zanders. Zanders gave the typical "I'm not like other guys" vibes on and off throughout the book. It's his personality conflict that makes him a very inconsistent character. He does have his sweet moments tho, which I liked.
The supporting characters- Indy, was the most annoying character in this book for me. The way she talks is just so damn immature, it irked me a lot. Maddison and his whole family were sweet. Ryan is another character I liked.
The romance started off strongly insta lusty, which I was not a fan of. Considering it is a 600+ pages book, a slow burn would have worked far better. The chemistry between Stevie and Zanders starts off rocky due to the insta lust, it felt forced. Towards the middle, when things slow down and they take the time to get to know each other, that's when I liked the two as a couple. The moments where the two encourage each other and support the honest and open communication was something I liked. The sexual tension is okay-ish. The spice is well written. Okay, this might sound am nitpicking but I hated their nicknames for each other, Zee and Vee 🤢 I just did not vibe with the nicknames at all, especially whenever Zanders called her "Stevie girl," like the first 3-4 times it was okay, but soon turned to be too much.
The third act breakup was so petty, it just came across as the author wrote it for the sake of it. The ending was sweet tho. Overall, an okay-ish read, too overhyped imo.
~•~•~
Bro why is this book 600+ pages long
January 17, 2023
i definitely get the hype with this one!
it was a super real romance which can be surprisingly hard to find. but the hockey playing hero with a bad reputation had a lot of heart and defied playboy tropes. and our heroine with body confidence issues was also incredibly strong and confident in other aspects of her life. i liked the inclusion of family relationships (because in real life those definitely DO affect your romantic relationships) and i surprisingly didn't mind that things started with a simple hookup.
if you're looking for a rock solid hockey romance and are willing to overlook the slightly clunky writing at the beginning, this is something you need to pick up.
it was a super real romance which can be surprisingly hard to find. but the hockey playing hero with a bad reputation had a lot of heart and defied playboy tropes. and our heroine with body confidence issues was also incredibly strong and confident in other aspects of her life. i liked the inclusion of family relationships (because in real life those definitely DO affect your romantic relationships) and i surprisingly didn't mind that things started with a simple hookup.
if you're looking for a rock solid hockey romance and are willing to overlook the slightly clunky writing at the beginning, this is something you need to pick up.
March 12, 2024
if he doesn't worship me the way Zanders worships Stieve I DON'T WANT HIM!!😩😩
also, i apparently manifested the thing I posted as an update yesterday so I won't give this one 5!!
but omg i loved this one SO MUCHHHHH!😩
----------------------------
Been dying to read this series !! 603 pages and 17 hrs audiobook, wish me luck guyssss😭🤞
also, i apparently manifested the thing I posted as an update yesterday so I won't give this one 5!!
but omg i loved this one SO MUCHHHHH!😩
----------------------------
Been dying to read this series !! 603 pages and 17 hrs audiobook, wish me luck guyssss😭🤞
May 22, 2023
DNF p.g 87
I was listening to the audiobook while reading along on my kindle and in the audiobook the mixed race FMC’s hair is constantly referred to as “crazy” “wild” & “untameable” in this 2022/2023 a white author thought it was ok to write about a hair type she doesn’t have in a negative light!
Since I was also following along on my kindle I can see these words have been removed from the ebook but I don’t feel comfortable reading and supporting an author that would even think that was ok to begin with.
This book might be as phenomenal as you all say it is but I refuse to support this author
Black girlies AVOID. Go blow up A E Valdez books instead
I was listening to the audiobook while reading along on my kindle and in the audiobook the mixed race FMC’s hair is constantly referred to as “crazy” “wild” & “untameable” in this 2022/2023 a white author thought it was ok to write about a hair type she doesn’t have in a negative light!
Since I was also following along on my kindle I can see these words have been removed from the ebook but I don’t feel comfortable reading and supporting an author that would even think that was ok to begin with.
This book might be as phenomenal as you all say it is but I refuse to support this author
Black girlies AVOID. Go blow up A E Valdez books instead
August 5, 2023
We could've saved so many trees if only Zanders kept his mouth shut 🤗🤗
Listen, this book was far from bad. I would’ve rated it higher (about 3.5-4 stars) if it weren’t for the MANY ISSUES it had. 💔
OVERALL THOUGHTS I saw so many people raving about this book all over the Internet. Naturally, the
easily influenced person I am🤡, it didn’t take much convincing before I decided to pick it up. And I WAS DESPERATE TO LOVE IT. I needed a quality romance book. BOY, was I in for a ride! We started off strong, a good story, GOOD WRITING, a loveable female main character. But everything went downhill a bit too soon.
🤷🤷 Dear white authors, DON’T WRITE BLACK CHARACTERS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF DIVERSITY IF YOU
DON’T KNOW HOW TO WRITE THEM WELL! If I took a shot every time I read “wild girl”, “wild curls”, “wild hair”, I WOULD BE PLASTERED BY PAGE 10. There was absolutely nothing wild about this woman,
come up with a different adjective please! YOU ARE A NORMAL REGULAR CIVILIAN, ACT LIKE IT! What’s
wild about a head full of curls? And if it was mentioned once or twice, I would have tolerated it, but it was at least 5 times on every single page.🤷🤷
Which brings me to my next point, THIS BOOK IS 600 PAGES LONG. That is INSANE for a contemporary romance. But yk, (unlike me) some (fictional) people have eventful lives so I can excuse that if THINGS HAPPEN. But they don’t really, we just drag and drag and drag the story that consists of “hazel eyes”, “beautiful man”, “wild girl”, “blue-green eyes”, “curly-haired
flight attendant” and filler words in-between those. The amount of frustration. If the editor got rid of these repetitions, this book would have been 400 pages long max (which is still pretty long but we’ll get to that soon).
Next point, Zanders was INSUFFERABLE. I’m sorry, but y’all will have to stand up at some point (make it soon).🤭 Like, for sure, he has redeeming qualities about him, like, I can genuinely (based on his actions but without spoiling anything) see that he’s a good kind man with morals (who would’ve thought) BUT
THE ONLY PLACE HE SHOULD BE IS THE NEAREST KINDERGARTEN! The things that came out of this man’s mouth...my jaw dropped on several occassions. These things weren’t that wild (pun intended) per se, but in context... girl! Calling someone’s sweatpants disgusting? Shaming someone for thrift shopping?
Calling the most normal woman ever a WILD GIRL after knowing her for 50 seconds? Sir, Imma need you
to shut up. Being immature isn’t hot (that’s my 2023 campaign). 🤠
(Before you attack me, "giving shit a person you like" is not how adults act).
The romance was actually really good. I loved Stevie and Zanders together. They had a genuine well developed connection. Their conversations were believable. This book had so many cute and romantic scenes which were so well written. Again, I can’t believe how well-written this was and how it had a good storyline, but at the same time so many beginner-level mistakes that destroyed everything (for me), including the rating.
The spice was also good, BUT SO MUCH OF IT (okay maybe I’m exaggerating a bit). It wasn’t every other page, but could’ve been reduced considering the fact that it brought absolutely nothing to the table. Except for their first time, every other time it happened was unnecessary. I’m not being a prude, but if you’re putting those scenes there to fill the pages, I’m not gonna be too happy about that.
The last 40-50 pages drove me absolutely insane. PLEASE WRAP UP THE BOOK WOMAN! I miss the good
old “they lived happily ever after”. But no, we needed to know what Prada present Zanders got for a 1 y/o.
CHARACTERS
STEVIE soloed. This woman carried the book on her back. I loved absolutely everything about her. Except
the obvious, I must mention the one thing I loved especially. I love how the author dealt with Stevie’s insecurities surrounding her weight. Without spoiling much, that bathroom breakdown scene was BEAUTIFUL. Also, when those comments surfaced, nothing was mentioned too explicitly so it wouldn’t
trigger anyone, but still, the message was delivered very well (including the characters’ emotions etc). ❤️❤️
Stevie was a 3D character, she had a nice personality, hobbies, interests, personal struggles, I volunteer to be her friend.
ZANDERS yeah. In order not to repeat myself, I will mention a few more things here. He ate a few times, with a few comments, I’m not gonna lie, that “Stevie girl” had me putting a few strands of hair behind my ear. Also, this man did show some character development throughout the book, I have to give him that. We ended on good terms, but overall, I’m good you can have him.
SIDE CHARACTERS. I love them all without exception. They made this book realistic and fun.
Which leads me to my conclusion, I have a feeling that Ryan’s book will be much better than this one. He
was such a babygirl in this book, IN LOVE.
LIZ TOMFORDE, YOU’RE GOOD, I’M WAITING FOR YOU TO BE GREAT! 🤠❤️💅
(Don’t take anything I’ve said here too seriously pls, I’m critiquing this book based solely on how I felt reading it. Feel free to start a respectful discussion and to correct me if I got something wrong)💋💋
Listen, this book was far from bad. I would’ve rated it higher (about 3.5-4 stars) if it weren’t for the MANY ISSUES it had. 💔
OVERALL THOUGHTS I saw so many people raving about this book all over the Internet. Naturally, the
easily influenced person I am🤡, it didn’t take much convincing before I decided to pick it up. And I WAS DESPERATE TO LOVE IT. I needed a quality romance book. BOY, was I in for a ride! We started off strong, a good story, GOOD WRITING, a loveable female main character. But everything went downhill a bit too soon.
🤷🤷 Dear white authors, DON’T WRITE BLACK CHARACTERS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF DIVERSITY IF YOU
DON’T KNOW HOW TO WRITE THEM WELL! If I took a shot every time I read “wild girl”, “wild curls”, “wild hair”, I WOULD BE PLASTERED BY PAGE 10. There was absolutely nothing wild about this woman,
come up with a different adjective please! YOU ARE A NORMAL REGULAR CIVILIAN, ACT LIKE IT! What’s
wild about a head full of curls? And if it was mentioned once or twice, I would have tolerated it, but it was at least 5 times on every single page.🤷🤷
Which brings me to my next point, THIS BOOK IS 600 PAGES LONG. That is INSANE for a contemporary romance. But yk, (unlike me) some (fictional) people have eventful lives so I can excuse that if THINGS HAPPEN. But they don’t really, we just drag and drag and drag the story that consists of “hazel eyes”, “beautiful man”, “wild girl”, “blue-green eyes”, “curly-haired
flight attendant” and filler words in-between those. The amount of frustration. If the editor got rid of these repetitions, this book would have been 400 pages long max (which is still pretty long but we’ll get to that soon).
Next point, Zanders was INSUFFERABLE. I’m sorry, but y’all will have to stand up at some point (make it soon).🤭 Like, for sure, he has redeeming qualities about him, like, I can genuinely (based on his actions but without spoiling anything) see that he’s a good kind man with morals (who would’ve thought) BUT
THE ONLY PLACE HE SHOULD BE IS THE NEAREST KINDERGARTEN! The things that came out of this man’s mouth...my jaw dropped on several occassions. These things weren’t that wild (pun intended) per se, but in context... girl! Calling someone’s sweatpants disgusting? Shaming someone for thrift shopping?
Calling the most normal woman ever a WILD GIRL after knowing her for 50 seconds? Sir, Imma need you
to shut up. Being immature isn’t hot (that’s my 2023 campaign). 🤠
(Before you attack me, "giving shit a person you like" is not how adults act).
The romance was actually really good. I loved Stevie and Zanders together. They had a genuine well developed connection. Their conversations were believable. This book had so many cute and romantic scenes which were so well written. Again, I can’t believe how well-written this was and how it had a good storyline, but at the same time so many beginner-level mistakes that destroyed everything (for me), including the rating.
The spice was also good, BUT SO MUCH OF IT (okay maybe I’m exaggerating a bit). It wasn’t every other page, but could’ve been reduced considering the fact that it brought absolutely nothing to the table. Except for their first time, every other time it happened was unnecessary. I’m not being a prude, but if you’re putting those scenes there to fill the pages, I’m not gonna be too happy about that.
The last 40-50 pages drove me absolutely insane. PLEASE WRAP UP THE BOOK WOMAN! I miss the good
old “they lived happily ever after”. But no, we needed to know what Prada present Zanders got for a 1 y/o.
CHARACTERS
STEVIE soloed. This woman carried the book on her back. I loved absolutely everything about her. Except
the obvious, I must mention the one thing I loved especially. I love how the author dealt with Stevie’s insecurities surrounding her weight. Without spoiling much, that bathroom breakdown scene was BEAUTIFUL. Also, when those comments surfaced, nothing was mentioned too explicitly so it wouldn’t
trigger anyone, but still, the message was delivered very well (including the characters’ emotions etc). ❤️❤️
Stevie was a 3D character, she had a nice personality, hobbies, interests, personal struggles, I volunteer to be her friend.
ZANDERS yeah. In order not to repeat myself, I will mention a few more things here. He ate a few times, with a few comments, I’m not gonna lie, that “Stevie girl” had me putting a few strands of hair behind my ear. Also, this man did show some character development throughout the book, I have to give him that. We ended on good terms, but overall, I’m good you can have him.
SIDE CHARACTERS. I love them all without exception. They made this book realistic and fun.
Which leads me to my conclusion, I have a feeling that Ryan’s book will be much better than this one. He
was such a babygirl in this book, IN LOVE.
LIZ TOMFORDE, YOU’RE GOOD, I’M WAITING FOR YOU TO BE GREAT! 🤠❤️💅
(Don’t take anything I’ve said here too seriously pls, I’m critiquing this book based solely on how I felt reading it. Feel free to start a respectful discussion and to correct me if I got something wrong)💋💋
September 21, 2024
3.75★s
Public announcement: I am incredibly sorry for how long it has taken me to pick up this series. I will now likely devour the rest of them within 3-4 days. Thank you.🙂↕️
✧“I like you for you”
“I know. You’re practically obsessed with me.”✧
I have put this off forever and ever. It never really intriguing me even though I've seen so much love for it. I'm so happy I finally decided to give it a shot, because I had an amazing time.
Especially in the first half. The glints in their eyes when challenging each other, their natural banter combined with a genuine connection and incredible sexual tension. Them finally giving into one another. LOVE.
✦“I look down at my own outfit-my black wool coat, black tailored slacks and black Louboutins, registering it as the moment I fell a little harder.”✦
I loved the depth to both Zander and Stevie. They're complex and human, not only those 2-dimensional characters with only two traits that are being played off time and time again.
They're authentic. At times it was frustrating reading about how their insecurities self-sabotage for them in life, relationship and hinder them from living their fullest lives. But I can understand where they come from, and I think that is part of what makes this so great.
✧“She exposed the missing pieces in my life while simultaneously putting them all together.”✧
Mostly, I read this with a big goofy smile on my lips. They are truly so adorable together.
I particularly loved how Zander was protective over her mental health, helping her in standing up for herself and see her worth. Whilst she did the same for Zander, loving him unconditionally and being steadfast in that. They are so fully and completely right for one another. I love them. 🥹
Over to why this doesn't have a higher rating. I loved every second of the first half. The second half dragged a lot for me however. This definitely could've been 100-200 pages shorter.
We received several cute, fluffy moments that simply weren't necessary to their connection as well as a resolution went on for way too long. Liz teased us time and time again with moments where you thought they'd communicate and figure things out, however each time they just found a new issue that needed to be resolved. It all felt a bit too cheesy and forced for my taste. Especially, when their love for one another was so incredibly transparent. I will say, I can appreciate the mmc being self-aware and action-oriented, taking concrete steps to work on himself for the success of their relationship.
Another two smaller things, that I wouldn't say impacted my overall enjoyment much but I am getting a bit tired of reading about.
1) The player boy persona. Personally, I feel jaded with men speaking about women and female bodies as if they're just simply properties, something to use. I know it's played up for the sake of the story, for us to be able to see a development in the mmc etc but it didn't hit me right.
2) The narrative that women are the emotional and irrational ones.
“Women, I tell you. They’re all a little nutty.”, “I don’t do crying. Correction-I don’t do chicks crying.” - Again, I get that these quotes play into his whole playboy aura. That he doesn't have experience with women's emotions, but I'm sick of men thinking these kind of jokes are okay.
I know we don't read these books for their feminist takes(lol), so I won't go on a tangent about this, but these are things that stuck out to me whilst reading that I didn't particularly love.
✦“You’re my personal version of heaven, Stevie girl.”✦
All in all, this was an amazing read, even if it was a bit too lengthy I had a great time and I am eagerly starting The Right Move now.
Windy City #1 - Mile High Review
Windy City #2 - The Right Move Review
Windy City #3 - Caught Up Review
Windy City #4 - Play Along Review
____________
⌞Pre-read:⌝
🤫 I know I have three other books marked as current reads(lets not even talk about the one I started two months ago). But my mood reading traits are working against me, and now after reading Pri's review I am feeling this, okay?
Public announcement: I am incredibly sorry for how long it has taken me to pick up this series. I will now likely devour the rest of them within 3-4 days. Thank you.🙂↕️
✧“I like you for you”
“I know. You’re practically obsessed with me.”✧
I have put this off forever and ever. It never really intriguing me even though I've seen so much love for it. I'm so happy I finally decided to give it a shot, because I had an amazing time.
Especially in the first half. The glints in their eyes when challenging each other, their natural banter combined with a genuine connection and incredible sexual tension. Them finally giving into one another. LOVE.
✦“I look down at my own outfit-my black wool coat, black tailored slacks and black Louboutins, registering it as the moment I fell a little harder.”✦
I loved the depth to both Zander and Stevie. They're complex and human, not only those 2-dimensional characters with only two traits that are being played off time and time again.
They're authentic. At times it was frustrating reading about how their insecurities self-sabotage for them in life, relationship and hinder them from living their fullest lives. But I can understand where they come from, and I think that is part of what makes this so great.
✧“She exposed the missing pieces in my life while simultaneously putting them all together.”✧
Mostly, I read this with a big goofy smile on my lips. They are truly so adorable together.
I particularly loved how Zander was protective over her mental health, helping her in standing up for herself and see her worth. Whilst she did the same for Zander, loving him unconditionally and being steadfast in that. They are so fully and completely right for one another. I love them. 🥹
Over to why this doesn't have a higher rating. I loved every second of the first half. The second half dragged a lot for me however. This definitely could've been 100-200 pages shorter.
We received several cute, fluffy moments that simply weren't necessary to their connection as well as a resolution went on for way too long. Liz teased us time and time again with moments where you thought they'd communicate and figure things out, however each time they just found a new issue that needed to be resolved. It all felt a bit too cheesy and forced for my taste. Especially, when their love for one another was so incredibly transparent. I will say, I can appreciate the mmc being self-aware and action-oriented, taking concrete steps to work on himself for the success of their relationship.
Another two smaller things, that I wouldn't say impacted my overall enjoyment much but I am getting a bit tired of reading about.
1) The player boy persona. Personally, I feel jaded with men speaking about women and female bodies as if they're just simply properties, something to use. I know it's played up for the sake of the story, for us to be able to see a development in the mmc etc but it didn't hit me right.
2) The narrative that women are the emotional and irrational ones.
“Women, I tell you. They’re all a little nutty.”, “I don’t do crying. Correction-I don’t do chicks crying.” - Again, I get that these quotes play into his whole playboy aura. That he doesn't have experience with women's emotions, but I'm sick of men thinking these kind of jokes are okay.
I know we don't read these books for their feminist takes(lol), so I won't go on a tangent about this, but these are things that stuck out to me whilst reading that I didn't particularly love.
✦“You’re my personal version of heaven, Stevie girl.”✦
All in all, this was an amazing read, even if it was a bit too lengthy I had a great time and I am eagerly starting The Right Move now.
Windy City #1 - Mile High Review
Windy City #2 - The Right Move Review
Windy City #3 - Caught Up Review
Windy City #4 - Play Along Review
____________
⌞Pre-read:⌝
🤫 I know I have three other books marked as current reads(lets not even talk about the one I started two months ago). But my mood reading traits are working against me, and now after reading Pri's review I am feeling this, okay?
September 26, 2024
જ⁀➴ 4 ✰
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧
➳ my thoughts:
Changed my rating a lot but finally after almost a month I decided to do the review, I was honestly going to give this 3 stars but after reading the whole series I upgraded my rating for this one<3
I enjoyed this book a lot, I’m a huge hockey romance fan so it’s not a surprise, this has been on my tbr since 2022 andi don’t know why I never read it honestly I refused to read a book this long on my phone so I finally caved in and bought the whole series and I’m glad that I did because I feel that it’s going to be one of my favorite series.
One thing I loved about this book was how it highlighted the vulnerabilities of the characters. Liz’s writing did an amazing job portraying their insecurities and showing how these struggles impacted their everyday lives. It made the characters feel more realistic and relatable.
There’s something about sports romance combined with the found family trope that always seems to work perfectly, and this book was not the exception. The way Zanders and the Maddison family cared for and supported each other was truly beautiful, adding a deeper layer of warmth and connection to the book.
➳ characters:
ೃ࿐ Stevie ꒰🛩꒱
Stevie is working as a private flight attendant for the Chicago hockey team, because of her past experiences she doesn’t want anything to do with an athlete which makes her initially wary of Xander and his reputation as a playboy.
She’s not easily impressed by fame or wealth, and her focus is on her career and maintaining her boundaries. While she's tough on the outside, Stevie also has a compassionate side and cares deeply for those she allows into her inner circle.
As someone who has been fighting with her weight and confidence, I relate a lot to Stevie, her way of thinking, the way she feels most of the time and her problem with her mother. I think she is one of the characters I’ve related the most lately.
ೃ࿐ Zanders ꒰🏒꒱
Zanders is a charismatic professional hockey player. He is known for his undeniable talent on the ice but also for his bad-boy reputation off it. Because of how the media portrayed him he usually hides his vulnerability and personal issues and only shows it to those close to him.
Obviously I didn’t like him at the begging, he was the typical playboy who doesn’t want to settle down with anyone and is living his life partying and being carefree. He grew on me the more I kept reading, as the story progressed we could see his softer and caring side. I liked a lot how he gave Stevie her confidence back.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥˚✿ °. Stevie & Zanders
I absolutely love their relationship; they truly needed each other to become the best versions of themselves. What I appreciate most about them is that, even though their connection began with physical attraction, it didn’t stop them from forming a deep emotional bond. I adore how they took their time to truly get to know each other on a deeper level. It feels rare nowadays, as so many books focus more on the mc’s dynamics in bed, letting lust overshadow love. Their emotional growth together is what makes their relationship so special to me.
Stevie longed to be someone’s first choice, and that’s exactly how Zanders made her feel.🥹Zanders had always feared that if anyone truly saw who he was, they would leave but Stevie showed him that he was perfect just as he is.
My favorite scene between them was the mirror one😭💖 it was so precious.
༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶
I had a good time reading this but I also have a few complaints about the book and the reasons why I didn’t gave it 5 stars: the first one is how long it is, this could have been perfectly done with at least hundred pages less.
Another thing that I didn’t like was the whole media persona of Zanders, I feel that it was too repetitive and dragged the topic to the end of the book which lowered my enjoyment.
🎧ྀི Stevie & Zanders mini playlistᰔ
⤷ worship ⟡ olly alexander
⤷ mutual ⟡ shawn mendes
⤷ you are enough ⟡ sleeping at last
⤷ close ⟡ nick jonas
⤷ i like me better ⟡ lauv
⤷ where do we go now? ⟡ gracie abrams
⤷ there you are ⟡ zayn
💌tropes:
ꨄ︎ hockey player x flight attendant
ꨄ︎ forbidden romance
ꨄ︎ forced proximity
ꨄ︎ mental heath rep
ꨄ︎ curvy fmc
ꨄ︎ secret relationship
ꨄ︎ reformed player
-‘๑’- some of my favorite quotes -‘๑’-
・❥ “Stevie girl, I’ll follow you anywhere”
・❥ “I fell in love with you while we were a mile high in the air”
・❥ “I don’t want to be anyone’s option anymore.
I want someone to choose me”
・❥ “Hey, Stevie?”
“Hmm.” Her head leans on her arms, facing me.
“I like talking to you”
・❥ “It hurts a whole lot less to be hated when you’re not being yourself than it does not to be loved for who you are”
・❥ “It’s perfectly okay to create boundaries when someone isn’t treating you the right way”
・❥ “I’m just having a bad day, is all.”
“That’s okay, Vee. You’re allowed to have bad days”
・❥ “Thank you for choosing me”
“It’s the best decision I ever made”
・❥ “Stevie?” Zanders whispers into the silence.
“Mm-hmm?”
“You are. You know that, right? You’re what I needed most in life”
・❥ “I’m grateful for the life he gave me. The confidence he instilled in me. The love he showed me I could experience. It’s hard to be mad at someone when the best part of your life was thanks to them”
・❥ “some people are worth following to the ends of the earth”
The Right Move review
Caught Up review
Play Along review
Rewind It Back review
ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩
Finally starting this book after putting it off for weeks!!
I’m so excited to read this series I'm desperate to read play along
౨ৎ“You’re my personal version of heaven, Stevie girl”౨ৎ
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧
➳ my thoughts:
Changed my rating a lot but finally after almost a month I decided to do the review, I was honestly going to give this 3 stars but after reading the whole series I upgraded my rating for this one<3
I enjoyed this book a lot, I’m a huge hockey romance fan so it’s not a surprise, this has been on my tbr since 2022 and
One thing I loved about this book was how it highlighted the vulnerabilities of the characters. Liz’s writing did an amazing job portraying their insecurities and showing how these struggles impacted their everyday lives. It made the characters feel more realistic and relatable.
There’s something about sports romance combined with the found family trope that always seems to work perfectly, and this book was not the exception. The way Zanders and the Maddison family cared for and supported each other was truly beautiful, adding a deeper layer of warmth and connection to the book.
➳ characters:
ೃ࿐ Stevie ꒰🛩꒱
⭑.ᐟ “She’s an interesting mix of soft and firm. Insecure and confident. Bold and shy”
Stevie is working as a private flight attendant for the Chicago hockey team, because of her past experiences she doesn’t want anything to do with an athlete which makes her initially wary of Xander and his reputation as a playboy.
She’s not easily impressed by fame or wealth, and her focus is on her career and maintaining her boundaries. While she's tough on the outside, Stevie also has a compassionate side and cares deeply for those she allows into her inner circle.
As someone who has been fighting with her weight and confidence, I relate a lot to Stevie, her way of thinking, the way she feels most of the time and her problem with her mother. I think she is one of the characters I’ve related the most lately.
ೃ࿐ Zanders ꒰🏒꒱
⭑.ᐟ “I’m afraid that if everyone sees the real me, that maybe they won’t like it”
Zanders is a charismatic professional hockey player. He is known for his undeniable talent on the ice but also for his bad-boy reputation off it. Because of how the media portrayed him he usually hides his vulnerability and personal issues and only shows it to those close to him.
Obviously I didn’t like him at the begging, he was the typical playboy who doesn’t want to settle down with anyone and is living his life partying and being carefree. He grew on me the more I kept reading, as the story progressed we could see his softer and caring side. I liked a lot how he gave Stevie her confidence back.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥˚✿ °. Stevie & Zanders
꒰⊹Vee & Zee⊹꒱
I absolutely love their relationship; they truly needed each other to become the best versions of themselves. What I appreciate most about them is that, even though their connection began with physical attraction, it didn’t stop them from forming a deep emotional bond. I adore how they took their time to truly get to know each other on a deeper level. It feels rare nowadays, as so many books focus more on the mc’s dynamics in bed, letting lust overshadow love. Their emotional growth together is what makes their relationship so special to me.
Stevie longed to be someone’s first choice, and that’s exactly how Zanders made her feel.🥹Zanders had always feared that if anyone truly saw who he was, they would leave but Stevie showed him that he was perfect just as he is.
“You’re my first choice, Vee. My only choice”
My favorite scene between them was the mirror one😭💖 it was so precious.
“You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t”
༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶
I had a good time reading this but I also have a few complaints about the book and the reasons why I didn’t gave it 5 stars: the first one is how long it is, this could have been perfectly done with at least hundred pages less.
Another thing that I didn’t like was the whole media persona of Zanders, I feel that it was too repetitive and dragged the topic to the end of the book which lowered my enjoyment.
🎧ྀི Stevie & Zanders mini playlistᰔ
⤷ worship ⟡ olly alexander
⤷ mutual ⟡ shawn mendes
⤷ you are enough ⟡ sleeping at last
⤷ close ⟡ nick jonas
⤷ i like me better ⟡ lauv
⤷ where do we go now? ⟡ gracie abrams
⤷ there you are ⟡ zayn
💌tropes:
ꨄ︎ hockey player x flight attendant
ꨄ︎ forbidden romance
ꨄ︎ forced proximity
ꨄ︎ mental heath rep
ꨄ︎ curvy fmc
ꨄ︎ secret relationship
ꨄ︎ reformed player
-‘๑’- some of my favorite quotes -‘๑’-
・❥ “Stevie girl, I’ll follow you anywhere”
・❥ “I fell in love with you while we were a mile high in the air”
・❥ “I don’t want to be anyone’s option anymore.
I want someone to choose me”
・❥ “Hey, Stevie?”
“Hmm.” Her head leans on her arms, facing me.
“I like talking to you”
・❥ “It hurts a whole lot less to be hated when you’re not being yourself than it does not to be loved for who you are”
・❥ “It’s perfectly okay to create boundaries when someone isn’t treating you the right way”
・❥ “I’m just having a bad day, is all.”
“That’s okay, Vee. You’re allowed to have bad days”
・❥ “Thank you for choosing me”
“It’s the best decision I ever made”
・❥ “Stevie?” Zanders whispers into the silence.
“Mm-hmm?”
“You are. You know that, right? You’re what I needed most in life”
・❥ “I’m grateful for the life he gave me. The confidence he instilled in me. The love he showed me I could experience. It’s hard to be mad at someone when the best part of your life was thanks to them”
・❥ “some people are worth following to the ends of the earth”
The Right Move review
Caught Up review
Play Along review
Rewind It Back review
ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩
Finally starting this book after putting it off for weeks!!
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 22, 2024 NOPE. DNF. CRINGE.
This has been highly recommended for a while now and I'm clearly still in my romance era so I thought I would give this one a whirl.
Betty- where are you 👀 Look at me naaahhh 😍😍
Betty- where are you 👀 Look at me naaahhh
September 24, 2023
i would much rather watch paint dry
September 7, 2024
4.75 stars ⭐️
⤷ spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
“You want to be chosen first? Well, so do I. So, choose me.”
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ stevie
i adore vee so much 🥹🩷
”I like bringing her to the expensive dark side, but let’s be real. Stevie, at her core, will always be the thrift-store-loving, shelter-volunteering, baggy-jeans-and-dirty-Air-Force-wearing girl that I’m obsessed with.”
“This photo is just the back of her. It’s just a figure in a coat. They can’t see her blue-green eyes that make me weak in the knees every time the corners of them crinkle from her laughter. They can’t see the freckles that decorate her cheeks, the same ones that create patterns and shapes I’ve memorized. They can’t see her smile that melts me every time it beams. On top of that, no photo will ever show her wit. Her sense of humor. Her wild charm or her overwhelmingly open and kind heart. No picture will ever show how sweet she is.”
need i say more?!! anyway, i was incredibly proud when she eventually learned to love herself with zanders' constant compliments and reassurance, and when she stood up to her mom and the public.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ zanders
ZANDERS, THE MAN YOU AREEE 😫 i didn’t like his cocky and egoistic attitude initially, but he definitely changed for the better after meeting vee, and i grew to love him after getting to know him on a deeper level.
“He loves hard and cares about his people like you wouldn’t believe. So, there’s nothing about him that needs to change. He just needs someone to accept who he is and appreciate what he brings to the table.”
it broke my heart to see him feel pressured to live up to his 'bad boy' image out of fear that no one would love his true self, but i’m so proud that he eventually embraced and showed his true self to the public with vee’s support 🥲
“Being vulnerable and authentic is scary, man. Terrifying. But to the people who matter to you, the ones you’ve shown your true self to, they love you unconditionally. Why not let others love you unconditionally too? At least give them a chance to.”
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ stevie and zanders
vee and zee are so freaking cute together (they even have matching nicknames) 😭 i loved how they helped each other face their insecurities/trauma and realize they are loveable 🥹
“I like you, Vee, and I’m being completely honest and vulnerable here. I just want the chance for you to want me. The real me.”
“…Thanks for being my girlfriend.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
“Thank you for choosing me.”
“It’s the best decision I ever made.”
“What makes them perfect? Because of their clothing size? That doesn’t make someone perfect. And regardless of size, looking like everyone else is boring. You’re stunning, Vee, and what makes you different is what makes you stand out. In the best way possible.”
i saw it coming and get that it was necessary for the plot, but i really didn’t appreciate the third-act breakup 😔↔️
“Do you love me? Because I love you, Stevie. I’ve always loved you. I just didn’t know that’s what it was at the time. I’ve never had someone to love, and no one has ever loved me the way you do. You might be done with me, Vee, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were, but I can’t let this end without telling you how much I fucking love you. The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was letting you go. I told myself I was doing it to protect you, but I was scared. No one had ever loved me enough to stick around, and I was tired of being left, so I did it before you could. But Stevie, there hasn’t been a second that’s gone by that I haven’t regretted that decision. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Always will be. I thought the scariest thing would be losing Chicago, losing my fans, but I was wrong. The scariest thing is losing you. All this time, I thought I needed an entire city to love me, but the reality is I just need you one person to. I need you to love me. You’ve always been my first choice, Vee, and I lost sight of that for a moment, but I promise you, you’ll never have to question your place in my life again. If you want to be in Seattle, then I’ll try my hardest to play in Seattle. If you want to move somewhere else, then I’m coming too. Stevie girl, I’ll follow you anywhere. I used to love life on the road, because for a moment I could forget I didn’t have anyone at home. But the only reason I enjoyed traveling this season is because you were there. I had the best part of home with me. I fell in love with you while we were a mile high in the air.”
“Miles”
“What?”
“Miles. Like seven miles in the air.”
“Sweetheart. I’m kind of having a moment here.”
”I’m sorry. Please continue.”
“Thank you. Anyway, as I was saying. I fell in love with you while we were miles high in the air, and I’m begging you to love me back. I’ll believe you, Stevie. I promise I will. Whatever you say, I’ll believe you. Do you still love me? Do you still love me, Stevie?”
“Of course, I do. I’ve always loved you. I just wanted you to let me. I could never give up on you. I love you.”
“I love you so much, Vee.” I’M NOT CRYING… 😭😭😭😭😭
“Mine.”
“And you’re mine, sweetheart. None of this was right without you. You’re my first and only choice, Vee, and never again am I going to make you feel like you’re not. Fucking love you. I’ll follow you anywhere, Stevie.”
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ other characters
it was incredibly moving to see how zanders was a part of madison and logan’s family. they understood him the most (aside from vee) and loved him unconditionally.
i despise both stevie’s and zanders’ moms. stevie’s mom was awful, constantly body-shaming and criticizing her. i’m glad she eventually realized the impact of her words and started to make amends, though i’m not too sure why it took her THAT long 🙄 on the other hand, i was so proud of zanders for reconnecting with his dad and cutting his mom out of his life to heal from his trauma 🥹
overall, i really enjoyed stevie and zanders’ story ~ i’m not too sure whether i’ll read caught up though… i’ve never read a “single dad” trope book before and am a bit hesitant ngl…
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ other quotes and dialogues i loved from this book
“You’re not an idiot. You’re not crazy for wanting to be wanted. For wanting to be loved.”
“People like that are going to treat you like you’re not enough or you’re not worthy, but that’s their own insecurities coming out. They’re bullies, and they’ll stop when you make them stop. If you start loving yourself, their words will no longer have meaning.”
“You deserve good things, but you’ve got to accept them when they come into your life.”
“The right people, the ones who deserve to be in your life, they’re going to accept you for exactly who you are.”
pre-read:
i read the right move first and absolutely loved it so i definitely need to read the first book in this series 🩵
⤷ spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
“You want to be chosen first? Well, so do I. So, choose me.”
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ stevie
i adore vee so much 🥹🩷
”I like bringing her to the expensive dark side, but let’s be real. Stevie, at her core, will always be the thrift-store-loving, shelter-volunteering, baggy-jeans-and-dirty-Air-Force-wearing girl that I’m obsessed with.”
“This photo is just the back of her. It’s just a figure in a coat. They can’t see her blue-green eyes that make me weak in the knees every time the corners of them crinkle from her laughter. They can’t see the freckles that decorate her cheeks, the same ones that create patterns and shapes I’ve memorized. They can’t see her smile that melts me every time it beams. On top of that, no photo will ever show her wit. Her sense of humor. Her wild charm or her overwhelmingly open and kind heart. No picture will ever show how sweet she is.”
need i say more?!! anyway, i was incredibly proud when she eventually learned to love herself with zanders' constant compliments and reassurance, and when she stood up to her mom and the public.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ zanders
ZANDERS, THE MAN YOU AREEE 😫 i didn’t like his cocky and egoistic attitude initially, but he definitely changed for the better after meeting vee, and i grew to love him after getting to know him on a deeper level.
“He loves hard and cares about his people like you wouldn’t believe. So, there’s nothing about him that needs to change. He just needs someone to accept who he is and appreciate what he brings to the table.”
it broke my heart to see him feel pressured to live up to his 'bad boy' image out of fear that no one would love his true self, but i’m so proud that he eventually embraced and showed his true self to the public with vee’s support 🥲
“Being vulnerable and authentic is scary, man. Terrifying. But to the people who matter to you, the ones you’ve shown your true self to, they love you unconditionally. Why not let others love you unconditionally too? At least give them a chance to.”
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ stevie and zanders
vee and zee are so freaking cute together (they even have matching nicknames) 😭 i loved how they helped each other face their insecurities/trauma and realize they are loveable 🥹
“I like you, Vee, and I’m being completely honest and vulnerable here. I just want the chance for you to want me. The real me.”
“…Thanks for being my girlfriend.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s the best decision I ever made.”
“Thank you for choosing me.”
“It’s the best decision I ever made.”
“What makes them perfect? Because of their clothing size? That doesn’t make someone perfect. And regardless of size, looking like everyone else is boring. You’re stunning, Vee, and what makes you different is what makes you stand out. In the best way possible.”
i saw it coming and get that it was necessary for the plot, but i really didn’t appreciate the third-act breakup 😔↔️
“Do you love me? Because I love you, Stevie. I’ve always loved you. I just didn’t know that’s what it was at the time. I’ve never had someone to love, and no one has ever loved me the way you do. You might be done with me, Vee, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were, but I can’t let this end without telling you how much I fucking love you. The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was letting you go. I told myself I was doing it to protect you, but I was scared. No one had ever loved me enough to stick around, and I was tired of being left, so I did it before you could. But Stevie, there hasn’t been a second that’s gone by that I haven’t regretted that decision. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Always will be. I thought the scariest thing would be losing Chicago, losing my fans, but I was wrong. The scariest thing is losing you. All this time, I thought I needed an entire city to love me, but the reality is I just need you one person to. I need you to love me. You’ve always been my first choice, Vee, and I lost sight of that for a moment, but I promise you, you’ll never have to question your place in my life again. If you want to be in Seattle, then I’ll try my hardest to play in Seattle. If you want to move somewhere else, then I’m coming too. Stevie girl, I’ll follow you anywhere. I used to love life on the road, because for a moment I could forget I didn’t have anyone at home. But the only reason I enjoyed traveling this season is because you were there. I had the best part of home with me. I fell in love with you while we were a mile high in the air.”
“Miles”
“What?”
“Miles. Like seven miles in the air.”
“Sweetheart. I’m kind of having a moment here.”
”I’m sorry. Please continue.”
“Thank you. Anyway, as I was saying. I fell in love with you while we were miles high in the air, and I’m begging you to love me back. I’ll believe you, Stevie. I promise I will. Whatever you say, I’ll believe you. Do you still love me? Do you still love me, Stevie?”
“Of course, I do. I’ve always loved you. I just wanted you to let me. I could never give up on you. I love you.”
“I love you so much, Vee.” I’M NOT CRYING… 😭😭😭😭😭
“Mine.”
“And you’re mine, sweetheart. None of this was right without you. You’re my first and only choice, Vee, and never again am I going to make you feel like you’re not. Fucking love you. I’ll follow you anywhere, Stevie.”
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ other characters
it was incredibly moving to see how zanders was a part of madison and logan’s family. they understood him the most (aside from vee) and loved him unconditionally.
i despise both stevie’s and zanders’ moms. stevie’s mom was awful, constantly body-shaming and criticizing her. i’m glad she eventually realized the impact of her words and started to make amends, though i’m not too sure why it took her THAT long 🙄 on the other hand, i was so proud of zanders for reconnecting with his dad and cutting his mom out of his life to heal from his trauma 🥹
overall, i really enjoyed stevie and zanders’ story ~ i’m not too sure whether i’ll read caught up though… i’ve never read a “single dad” trope book before and am a bit hesitant ngl…
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ other quotes and dialogues i loved from this book
“You’re not an idiot. You’re not crazy for wanting to be wanted. For wanting to be loved.”
“People like that are going to treat you like you’re not enough or you’re not worthy, but that’s their own insecurities coming out. They’re bullies, and they’ll stop when you make them stop. If you start loving yourself, their words will no longer have meaning.”
“You deserve good things, but you’ve got to accept them when they come into your life.”
“The right people, the ones who deserve to be in your life, they’re going to accept you for exactly who you are.”
pre-read:
i read the right move first and absolutely loved it so i definitely need to read the first book in this series 🩵
May 3, 2023
4.5 stars
Mile High is my first book by Liz Tomforde and I loved it so much! Zanders and Stevie were so much fun together- their banter was top notch and their chemistry was out of this world.
Stevie (Vee) is a flight attendant and Evan Zanders (Zee) plays professional hockey. She is the permeant flight attendant for the hockey season and the fraternization policy means the players are off limits. Zee is the enforcer for Chicago, the bad boy, the player. But deep down, he has a lot of love to give and is a big softie.
I loved watching him fall for Stevie and even more, I loved watching her gain confidence and love herself. Zee was so into her and it was obvious how much he cared. He never made her question her worth.
Mile High is my first book by Liz Tomforde and I loved it so much! Zanders and Stevie were so much fun together- their banter was top notch and their chemistry was out of this world.
Stevie (Vee) is a flight attendant and Evan Zanders (Zee) plays professional hockey. She is the permeant flight attendant for the hockey season and the fraternization policy means the players are off limits. Zee is the enforcer for Chicago, the bad boy, the player. But deep down, he has a lot of love to give and is a big softie.
I loved watching him fall for Stevie and even more, I loved watching her gain confidence and love herself. Zee was so into her and it was obvious how much he cared. He never made her question her worth.
“You’re my first choice, Vee. My only choice.”I love sports romance and enemies to lovers and this one was such a win for me! Honestly, the only thing that kept it from being a 5 star read is the fact that it was a little too long for me and I felt there were some repetitive things that could have been cut. The story itself was fantastic. And my favorite side character (Ryan- Vee's twin brother and NBA player) gets a book next so you know I'm going to be reading that ASAP!
“I’m so into you. It’s ridiculous,”
April 9, 2023
4 ‘you following me?’ stars
Stevie was such a queen who is so relatable. I loved her attitude. Zanders was such a vulnerable softie. I loved their chemistry and banter so much. All the “are you following me?” moments. I loved Madison’s family and his friendship with Zanders. I also loved the sibling’s relationship between Vee and Ryan. Even if I still question how he was so oblivious about what happened with his sister and ex-boyfriend. I liked how it was shown how both of their families affected them in a way. The conflict could’ve been done in a better way, but other than that I really enjoyed the story. So looking forward to Indy and Ryan’s story!! Those two already got me swooning!
“And you’re not an option, Stevie, because besides you, there’s no other choice.”
Stevie was such a queen who is so relatable. I loved her attitude. Zanders was such a vulnerable softie. I loved their chemistry and banter so much. All the “are you following me?” moments. I loved Madison’s family and his friendship with Zanders. I also loved the sibling’s relationship between Vee and Ryan. Even if I still question how he was so oblivious about what happened with his sister and ex-boyfriend. I liked how it was shown how both of their families affected them in a way. The conflict could’ve been done in a better way, but other than that I really enjoyed the story. So looking forward to Indy and Ryan’s story!! Those two already got me swooning!
November 16, 2024
– 4 stars ★
💌 “I fell in love with you while we were miles high in the air, and I’m begging you to love me back.”
💌 tropes
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Hockey player x Flight attendant
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Forced proximity
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Forbidden romance
ᯓᡣ𐭩 secret relationship
ᯓᡣ𐭩 mental health rep
This was so cuteee, zanders and Stevie were the sweetest and most lovable couple ever. They compliment each other so well, and they’re so gentle and genuine to each other.
Something i really loved about this book is the mental health rep that was done so well. Liz wrote about both zanders and stevie’s insecurities and vulnerabilities, capturing how it affected them selfs and their relationship and it was just so realistic and beautiful.
I’m also really glad that this book wasn’t focused solely on the MMC lusting after the FMC or trying to get into her pants. I really appreciated how Liz had them build a genuine emotional connection, comforting and supporting each other through hard times. It was refreshing to read a book that prioritized their mental bond and emotional growth over just physical attraction and bedroom activities.
To be honest, I do think this book could've been shorter, 676 pages was a bit too long for a romance imo. I also wasn’t a big fan of the third-act breakup, it dragged on for way too long imo, and at some point there were moments where I just wanted them to finally work things out so I could move on and finish the book🥲
💌 “You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t.”
💌 “I fell in love with you while we were miles high in the air, and I’m begging you to love me back.”
💌 tropes
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Hockey player x Flight attendant
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Forced proximity
ᯓᡣ𐭩 Forbidden romance
ᯓᡣ𐭩 secret relationship
ᯓᡣ𐭩 mental health rep
This was so cuteee, zanders and Stevie were the sweetest and most lovable couple ever. They compliment each other so well, and they’re so gentle and genuine to each other.
Something i really loved about this book is the mental health rep that was done so well. Liz wrote about both zanders and stevie’s insecurities and vulnerabilities, capturing how it affected them selfs and their relationship and it was just so realistic and beautiful.
I’m also really glad that this book wasn’t focused solely on the MMC lusting after the FMC or trying to get into her pants. I really appreciated how Liz had them build a genuine emotional connection, comforting and supporting each other through hard times. It was refreshing to read a book that prioritized their mental bond and emotional growth over just physical attraction and bedroom activities.
To be honest, I do think this book could've been shorter, 676 pages was a bit too long for a romance imo. I also wasn’t a big fan of the third-act breakup, it dragged on for way too long imo, and at some point there were moments where I just wanted them to finally work things out so I could move on and finish the book🥲
💌 “You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t.”
May 10, 2024
"You following me?"
this was the best sport romance i have ever read in my entire life. im obsessed with them. the sexual tension, the banter, the constant praising <33
the way stevie was battling with her self image really broke my heart and i absolutely adored the way zanders constantly praised her, making her love herself. he was so fixated on her from the moment he met her & him always wanting to protect her even when they weren't together, it was so so cute.
he wore her used and abused ring he took from her because he wants a piece of her always with him. he never took it off, even in games. i lovelove this man.
THE WHOLE SCENE IN THE BATHROOM WAS EVERYTHING.
🫶🏼
➻ 'Every part of me misses every part of him and our lives together.'
➻ "I fell in love with you while we were miles high in the air, and im begging you to love me back."
∘°∘♡∘°∘∘°∘♡∘°∘∘°∘♡∘°∘
first chapter
"I love road games." -zanders
last chapter
"I hate road games." -zanders
December 19, 2022
No, no and no.
The ick spread so fast with this for me, very swift DNF.
So much telling. So much.
Info dump. So much info dump
Also straight away getting iM sTeViE aNd iM nOt LiKe OtHEr GiRlS 💀💀 yuno when a girl talks to a famous/popular guy and has so much tuuuude straight off the bat for no reason. And this makes him fall for her 🙄 I started getting Ice breaker PTSD. It’s a no from me.
If I don’t find out within the first 5% what your characters want, cus yuno that’s the whole point, then I’m not sticking around for another nearly 500 pages.
Also, what man keeps names of girls he’s fucked in a city in THE NOTES APP?! With their names and what they sexually excel at 🤨 ewww
The ick spread so fast with this for me, very swift DNF.
So much telling. So much.
Info dump. So much info dump
Also straight away getting iM sTeViE aNd iM nOt LiKe OtHEr GiRlS 💀💀 yuno when a girl talks to a famous/popular guy and has so much tuuuude straight off the bat for no reason. And this makes him fall for her 🙄 I started getting Ice breaker PTSD. It’s a no from me.
If I don’t find out within the first 5% what your characters want, cus yuno that’s the whole point, then I’m not sticking around for another nearly 500 pages.
Also, what man keeps names of girls he’s fucked in a city in THE NOTES APP?! With their names and what they sexually excel at 🤨 ewww
June 23, 2024
23/06/24 this was WAY TOO LONG. I will do a short review later I guess
18/06/24 listen this might probably suck but it need a non brainer. Also I am doing this just to meet Ryan Shay? Probably 🙂↕️
April 15, 2024
it's unfair how disgraced wattpad is when it has far better books than whatever these so-called "best-selling" publishers print.
dnf @ch.19 ; 30% mark.
*********************************
pre-review:
doing this for heather , to scare her off this book and to support my baby bruna in hating this book 🤡
it's the way ik i'm not gonna like this.
dnf @ch.19 ; 30% mark.
*********************************
pre-review:
doing this for heather , to scare her off this book and to support my baby bruna in hating this book 🤡
it's the way ik i'm not gonna like this.
December 14, 2022
5 stars.
This was surprisingly one of the best sport romance books I’ve read this year. Tbh the book checked all the boxes.
The tension between them ? Check.
The characters development of both of them through it all ? Check, check.
The relationships between their respective families, plus all the drama around, and all the cute ”Uncle Zander”persona? Check, check, check.
And the little vibe of ennemis to lovers mixed with the perfect amount of forbidden romance ? GAH ! CHECK, CHECK.
I’m a sucker for a plus size heroine who speaks her mind fearlessly, and in this case I absolutely loved Steve.
This was surprisingly one of the best sport romance books I’ve read this year. Tbh the book checked all the boxes.
The tension between them ? Check.
The characters development of both of them through it all ? Check, check.
The relationships between their respective families, plus all the drama around, and all the cute ”Uncle Zander”persona? Check, check, check.
And the little vibe of ennemis to lovers mixed with the perfect amount of forbidden romance ? GAH ! CHECK, CHECK.
I’m a sucker for a plus size heroine who speaks her mind fearlessly, and in this case I absolutely loved Steve.
August 11, 2024
3.75 ★
wow... that was quite a ride.
i absolutely loved the MC's, and almost everything about this story.
the reasons i didn't rate this higher is because it's no different than any other hockey romance book. i definitely still ate it up, but it's not unique at all.
i absolutely also loved how the FMC was insecure. i'm insecure, and also curvy myself so to see the way xanders loved her despite how she felt about her body, even made her like herself - truly warmed my heart.
i also related to xanders on a level - with panic attacks that happen to me occasionally, seeing xanders go through that was absolutely heartbreaking. i wish we had more clarity on how those were handled after he handled the situation with his mother.
i'd definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone!! it's really good and my heart was breaking during the book and i absolutely loved it even more when it was put back together 🤭
br with kyrie 💗
wow... that was quite a ride.
i absolutely loved the MC's, and almost everything about this story.
the reasons i didn't rate this higher is because it's no different than any other hockey romance book. i definitely still ate it up, but it's not unique at all.
i absolutely also loved how the FMC was insecure. i'm insecure, and also curvy myself so to see the way xanders loved her despite how she felt about her body, even made her like herself - truly warmed my heart.
i also related to xanders on a level - with panic attacks that happen to me occasionally, seeing xanders go through that was absolutely heartbreaking. i wish we had more clarity on how those were handled after he handled the situation with his mother.
i'd definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone!! it's really good and my heart was breaking during the book and i absolutely loved it even more when it was put back together 🤭
br with kyrie 💗
January 9, 2023
Absolutely one of my favorite books of 2023 and it will be for the rest of the year! Are you kidding me!? I loved Zee from the moment we met him. He was definitely a player and had a girl waiting for him in every city his hockey team when to. But the moment he saw Stevie!? I love how hard he fell and how much he loved to push her buttons. And Stevie has been one of my favorite heroines I've read. She's a curvy heroine and has some insecurities because of her ex. But her brother is a professional basketball player, so celebrities don't phase her, especially Zee. They're interactions were perfect and I loved how hard they both fell for each other. This is a forbidden romance too, though, because if they are caught together, Stevie would lose her job. I just love a good sports romance and I loved Zee and his teammates. The mental health importance was so good, too, and I loved how important that was to Zee. The ending was also so emotional and so good!!! And the dogs!? I just loved everything about this book and you have to read it!
October 19, 2023
2.5 - Typical sports romance! Definitely going to continue the series because everyone has said the 2nd and 3rd books get better and better! Too long in some parts and like I said before, the amount of times the author referenced his money and her weight was just way too much.
February 8, 2023
H: I am the biggest Manhoe and fck anything with a pulse but deep down I am sweet and a good guy 🙄
h: I am so body conscious that it’s my damn personality and I am not like other girls just an absolute bore 🙄
I am tired of these narratives and it’s just lame and boring. DNF 6%
h: I am so body conscious that it’s my damn personality and I am not like other girls just an absolute bore 🙄
I am tired of these narratives and it’s just lame and boring. DNF 6%
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 26, 2023DNF at 15%
The main characters are insufferable and if I continue reading ill get a brain aneurysm 🤩
The main characters are insufferable and if I continue reading ill get a brain aneurysm 🤩
February 9, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I’m happy to say that I very much loved this book. I connected to the characters right away, felt like they were fully formed and complex, I loved their banter, their chemistry, I loved the build up and the way the whole story developed - I really think it was done very well and I had a great time reading it.
I did feel like it was longer than it needed to be, and since I’ve read so many books similar to this in the past, it felt extremely predictable to me - but I really liked both characters and enjoyed watching their story unfold, so it didn’t end up bringing down my enjoyment for it.
There are some small things that had me rolling my eyes throughout the book that aren’t really worth mentioning… so the only real issue I want to point out is the third act breakup and everything that happened in the last 150 pages. I saw it coming from a mile away, it felt unnecessary and could have easily gone in a completely different direction that would have strengthened their relationship instead of doing the exact opposite, and most of all… I felt like it was the worst situation to happen to them based off of everything the characters were so vocal about during the rest of the book. I didn’t like seeing their biggest issues and insecurities being used against them… even if it all worked out fine by the end.
In the past I’ve let third act breakups slide when I enjoyed the rest of the book as much as I did… and even though I loved this one just as much (if not more) than Consider Me which had a very similar premise/storyline (and I had given 5 stars to at the time), I don’t want to be as nice anymore. Third act breakups don’t have to be the norm & could easily be replaced by something different/more unique - so docking half a star for that last lil bit.
I’m happy to say that I very much loved this book. I connected to the characters right away, felt like they were fully formed and complex, I loved their banter, their chemistry, I loved the build up and the way the whole story developed - I really think it was done very well and I had a great time reading it.
I did feel like it was longer than it needed to be, and since I’ve read so many books similar to this in the past, it felt extremely predictable to me - but I really liked both characters and enjoyed watching their story unfold, so it didn’t end up bringing down my enjoyment for it.
There are some small things that had me rolling my eyes throughout the book that aren’t really worth mentioning… so the only real issue I want to point out is the third act breakup and everything that happened in the last 150 pages. I saw it coming from a mile away, it felt unnecessary and could have easily gone in a completely different direction that would have strengthened their relationship instead of doing the exact opposite, and most of all… I felt like it was the worst situation to happen to them based off of everything the characters were so vocal about during the rest of the book. I didn’t like seeing their biggest issues and insecurities being used against them… even if it all worked out fine by the end.
In the past I’ve let third act breakups slide when I enjoyed the rest of the book as much as I did… and even though I loved this one just as much (if not more) than Consider Me which had a very similar premise/storyline (and I had given 5 stars to at the time), I don’t want to be as nice anymore. Third act breakups don’t have to be the norm & could easily be replaced by something different/more unique - so docking half a star for that last lil bit.
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