Last updated on 06/29/2026
A hockey team captain and a bubbly staffer mix business with pleasure when they start fake dating through the wedding season in this hot sports romance perfect for fans of Mariana Zapata and Elle Kennedy.
Darcy Kendrick is used to putting out fires. As an overworked admin to a hockey team, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for accidentally DMing her very private, very NSFW fantasy to the subject of this fantasy: team captain Eric Tremaine. Nobody actually dies of embarrassment. Right?
But when a wedding invite puts them on a collision course with her chaotic family and his emotionally fraught past, Eric suggests a plan: they fake-date their way through the “Wedding Experience.” It’s mutually beneficial. Totally strategic. And definitely not real. Except between mini tacos, slow dances and lingering glances, Eric starts to wonder if the sharp-tongued assistant with a bottomless to-do list might be the one person who truly sees him. And for Darcy? The fire in her heart might be the only one she can’t put out.
It’s supposed to be fake. It’s supposed to be temporary. So why is it so hard to walk away?
Review:
This was such a fun read! Darcy and Eric’s story was a freaking delight from start to finish–from the DM she accidentally sent him that may or may not have made me snort laugh, to their plus-one turned fake dating at the wedding events they were both invited to, to the very real relationship that began shortly after (even if they were both in a bit of denial for a while), I didn’t want to put this one down! Their chemistry was great, and the fact that they each had no problem telling the other’s family members (and anyone else who needed it) off when they weren’t giving their future spouse the respect they should be was absolutely everything.
I loved finding the chapter titles while reading (though–was the “train with a guru” one actually in the chapter? I think I missed it)–I’m not sure a single one actually meant what I thought it would when I got to it, which somehow made it even more enjoyable.
I haven’t actually read book 1 yet ( Thrown for a Loop ), but it’s in KU so I’ll be remedying that ASAP. This one did work fine as a standalone, but now that I’ve read one book in the series, I must read them alllllll. DeLuca’s next, if the author note at the end is to be believed. I can’t wait! <3
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.