READING GUIDE · HOCKEY ROMANCE
Hockey Romance Books: 12 Picks From Clean to Spicy
By Romance Book Guide Editorial · Last checked October 2026
The best hockey romance books to start with are The Deal by Elle Kennedy for college fake dating, Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid for two rival pros, and Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor if you want no sexual scenes on the page. Most famous picks are open-door, so check the heat column first.
Hockey romance looks like one big pile of cartoon covers. It isn't. A college fake-dating story, a years-long secret between two rival pros, a summer romance between two women at a hockey camp and a sweet small-town book with nothing past kissing all wear the same label. So this guide sorts twelve of them by what actually changes your weekend: who's on the ice, how much happens on the page, and whether the book ends or leaves you waiting.
What changes your pick
- Came from a TV show? Watched Heated Rivalry? Read Heated Rivalry. It's book 2 of its series, and that's fine. Watched Off Campus? Start with The Deal. See the reading orders.
- Want no sexual scenes on the page? Absolutely Not in Love or Just Don't Fall. Both authors call them closed-door. Out on the Ice is fade to black, per its author.
- Want two women? Out on the Ice. Two men? Heated Rivalry.
- Want her on the ice too? Face Off. The heroine makes a pro team.
- Want one heroine and more than one hero? Pucking Around. Its author describes very explicit scenes with multiple partners.
- Need a happy ending in this book? Behind the Net (the author says so), Face Off and Icebreaker (the publishers say so). For a closed-door choice, Just Don't Fall has an HEA under Emma St. Clair's stated policy for her romantic comedies.
- Buying for a teen? Fake Skating is for ages 14 and up, per the publisher. Reviewers report a lot of swearing.
IN THIS GUIDE
- How we chose these books
- Hockey romance books at a glance
- Where to start
- If you came from Heated Rivalry or Off Campus
- The 12 books, with what you need to know
- How spicy is hockey romance?
- Endings, cliffhangers and series
- Close matches, and why they're not on the main list
- Formats, Kindle Unlimited and audiobooks
- Why is hockey romance everywhere?
- Quick answers
- Where to go next
- Sources
How we chose these books
Every main pick is a published romance where hockey sits at the center: at least one lead plays, coaches or works for a team, according to the author or publisher. We checked each title, author, series position and first publication against the author's site, the publisher, or a library or retailer record. Every heat note on this page says whose word it is.
Romance Book Guide helps you find romance books that feel like your kind of love story — comparing real books by setting, relationship, content level and ending, with the author or publisher information behind every pick, so you can choose your next read with confidence.
A book made the main list only if it passed four checks:
- Hockey is part of the story. A lead plays, coaches or works for a team. A jersey on the cover isn't enough.
- The love story is the main story. Eleven picks are adult romance. One is a teen book, and we say so.
- We could confirm the basics. Title, author, series and first year match a primary record.
- Someone named says how much happens on the page. The author, the publisher, or a clearly labeled reader report. If we couldn't find one, the book went to Close matches instead.
We didn't read these books. Our notes come from author pages, authors' own warning lists, publisher pages and sample chapters, audiobook and library listings, a public library staff list and a few review services. Each note carries one of our labels:
- Author or publisher information: what the author or publisher says about the book.
- Sample checked: what appears in an identified excerpt we inspected. It cannot establish the rest of the book.
- Reader report: what a reviewer, library staff recommendation or reader says about content. We haven't confirmed that content ourselves.
- Not verified: we couldn't confirm it, so we leave it open instead of guessing.
Here's what the heat words mean on this page:
- No sexual scenes on the page: romance and kissing. Any sex happens off the page or not at all. Authors often call this closed-door or clean.
- Fade to black: a scene starts, then cuts away before any details.
- Some on-page intimacy: some explicit moments.
- Open-door: explicit scenes are part of the book.
We keep four things apart, because one word can't answer all four: sexual detail, language, faith themes and hard topics. "Clean" never means "no swearing" unless a source says so. If you want to see how different spice scales line up, here's what different spice ratings can mean.
A few shorthand terms you'll see: M/F means a man and a woman, M/M two men, F/F two women. Why choose means one main character with more than one partner who doesn't have to pick just one. HEA means happily ever after; HFN means happy for now. Fake dating is when two people pretend to be a couple; forced proximity is when the story keeps them stuck in the same space.
The list runs from college to pro to closed-door to teen. That's a browsing order, not a ranking. See how we check book information.
Hockey romance books at a glance
Read the heat column first, then the ending column. Eight of these twelve have open-door descriptions, and four have off-page or kissing-only descriptions, with the evidence labeled below, so the heat note decides more than the trope does. "Not verified" means we couldn't confirm a detail, not that the answer is bad.
| Book | On the ice | Couple and setup | Heat (whose word) | Ending and series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Deal by Elle Kennedy | College; he's the captain | M/F · a tutoring deal turns into fake dating | Open-door (Reader report) | Off-Campus book 1 of 5; reads as a standalone (author). Ending: Not verified |
| Icebreaker by Hannah Grace | College; he plays, she figure skates | M/F · forced to share a rink, rivals at first | Open-door (Reader report); 18+ (Author or publisher information) | Publisher copy promises a happily ever after. Maple Hills book 1 of 3 |
| Collide by Bal Khabra | College; he's the captain | M/F · he's her psychology research project | Open-door (Reader report) | Happy epilogue (Reader report). Off the Ice book 1 of 4 |
| Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid | Pro league; both play | M/M · rival stars in a secret, years-long relationship | Open-door (Reader report) | Happy for now; the couple returns in later books (author). Game Changers book 2; six books published and a seventh announced |
| Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer | Pro; he's the goalie | M/F · she moves in as his assistant | Open-door (Reader report) | Happy ending; standalone (author). Vancouver Storm book 1 of 5 |
| Always Only You by Chloe Liese | Pro; he plays | M/F · he falls for the team's social media manager | Open-door (Author or publisher information) | Happy ending (publisher series description). Bergman Brothers book 2 of 7; new couple each book |
| Face Off by Chelsea Curto | Pro; both play | M/F · rivals to friends with benefits | Open-door (Author or publisher information) | Guaranteed happy ending (publisher). D.C. Stars book 1 |
| Pucking Around by Emily Rath | Pro; her partners include players | Why choose · one woman, three men | Open-door, very explicit (Author or publisher information) | Ending: Not verified. Jacksonville Rays book 1; can stand alone (author) |
| Out on the Ice by Kelly Farmer | Girls' hockey camp; former defender and current player | F/F · a camp owner and her summer coach | Fade to black (Author or publisher information) | Ending: Not verified. Out on the Ice book 1 of 3 |
| Just Don't Fall by Emma St. Clair | Minor league; he plays | M/F · brother's old best friend, accidental fake dating | No sexual scenes on the page (Author or publisher information) | Happily ever after (author reader guide). Appies Hockey Romance book 1 |
| Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor | Minor league; he's the goalie | M/F · a cellist's no-hockey-players rule, a goalie next door | No sexual scenes on the page (Author or publisher information) | Stands alone; read in any order (author). Ending: Not verified |
| Fake Skating by Lynn Painter | High school; he plays | Teen M/F · childhood friends, fake dating | Kissing only (Reader report); ages 14+ (publisher) | No series listed (publisher). Ending: Not verified |
Sources are linked in each book's entry. Library staff lists, review services and reviewers count as Reader report here because we didn't confirm their details ourselves.
Where to start if you're new to hockey romance
If you've never read one, start with The Deal for a fun college story, Behind the Net for a pro team and a happy ending the author promises, or Absolutely Not in Love if you want it closed-door. Pick the feeling first, then check the heat column.
Say you just finished the Off Campus show and want the same campus energy. The Deal is the book it came from. Or say you want a grown-up couple, a little banter and nothing explicit on the page. That's Absolutely Not in Love. Or maybe you want a slow, quiet pull between two women over one summer. That's Out on the Ice.
| If you want… | Start with… | Keep this in mind |
|---|---|---|
| College fake dating, the BookTok classic | The Deal | Open-door; readers note the heroine's past sexual assault comes up |
| A figure skater and a hockey captain | Icebreaker | Long (448 pages); the author lists disordered eating and explicit language |
| Bickering that turns sweet, on campus | Collide | Heat comes from reader reports, not the author |
| Two rival pros and a secret | Heated Rivalry | Spicy from the prologue, per library staff; their story keeps going in later books |
| A grumpy goalie and a promised happy ending | Behind the Net | The author lists a parent's death and a parent's alcoholism |
| A patient hero and an autistic heroine | Always Only You | Book 2 of its series, but each book is a new couple |
| A woman who plays in the pros | Face Off | The author flags explicit language, hockey fights and sexist remarks |
| One heroine and more than one partner | Pucking Around | Very explicit and long; 640 pages in the 2025 U.S. paperback |
| Two women and a slow burn | Out on the Ice | Fade to black; the author lists homophobia and biphobia |
| Closed-door fun with a fake-dating mix-up | Just Don't Fall | A minor-league team, not the top league |
| Closed-door, neighbors, a goalie who reads | Absolutely Not in Love | Readers say the epilogue hints at intimacy off the page |
| A teen book reviewers describe as kissing only | Fake Skating | Lots of swearing and underage drinking, per readers |
Still not sure which way you lean? Put your preferences into words first. Choose how much intimacy you want on the page and the format you like, then take that brief anywhere you shop for books.
You've found your lane, and there's more where it came from. The Next Chapter, Romance Book Guide's email letter, sends romance recommendations, new guides and occasional news about books Romance Book Guide publishes, with your tastes in mind. If you're here for the spicy ones, tick "High-heat romance" when you join. If you want them closed-door, tick "Clean / closed-door romance." You can unsubscribe any time.
If you came from Heated Rivalry or Off Campus
The Heated Rivalry show comes from Rachel Reid's book Heated Rivalry, which is book 2 of her Game Changers series, and you can start right there. Off Campus comes from Elle Kennedy's The Deal, book 1 of her Off-Campus series. Both series switch to a new couple in most books, so you can follow just the couple you loved.
Heated Rivalry: the books in order
The Heated Rivalry series premiered November 28, 2025, on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S., with six episodes (Bell Media and Warner Bros. Discovery press, checked October 24, 2026). Season 1 draws on Heated Rivalry plus parts of Game Changer. Season 2 was in production by August 2026, and is reported to adapt The Long Game plus parts of Role Model. Crave has announced a spring 2027 release window, without an exact premiere date. The production and adaptation details come from TVLine.
| Order | Book | First published | Couple | Do you need it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Game Changer | 2018 | Scott and Kip | Optional; the show borrows from it |
| 2 | Heated Rivalry | 2019 | Shane and Ilya | Start here if you came from the show |
| 3 | Tough Guy | 2020 | A new couple | Optional |
| 4 | Common Goal | 2020 | A new couple | Optional |
| 5 | Role Model | 2021 | A new couple | Optional; reportedly part of season 2 |
| 6 | The Long Game | 2022 | Shane and Ilya | Read next for their story |
| 7 | Unrivaled | Announced for June 1, 2027 | Shane and Ilya | Not out yet; the author says it picks up after The Long Game |
So the short route for Shane and Ilya is Heated Rivalry, then The Long Game, then Unrivaled when it arrives. Rachel Reid's Time to Shine (2023) and The Shots You Take (2025) are separate standalones, not Game Changers books, per her website.
Start with the book the show came from:
Heated Rivalry · Buying options (author's page)
Off Campus: the books in order
Off Campus premiered on Prime Video on May 13, 2026, with all eight episodes at once; season 1 adapts The Deal (Newsweek). Prime Video renewed it for a second season on February 12, 2026 (Tell-Tale TV). Amazon confirms that season 2 centers on Dean and Allie, the couple in The Score; its latest update gives no premiere date.
| Order | Book | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Deal | 2015 | Start here. Hannah and Garrett, the show's couple |
| 2 | The Mistake | 2015 | A new couple |
| 3 | The Score | 2016 | A new couple; its couple leads season 2 |
| 4 | The Goal | 2016 | A new couple |
| 5 | The Legacy | 2021 | Checks in on all four couples; read it last |
Want more of the same college? Elle Kennedy's Briar U series (The Chase, 2018; The Risk, 2019; The Play, 2019; The Dare, 2020) and Campus Diaries series (The Graham Effect, 2023; The Dixon Rule, 2024; The Charlie Method, 2025) are set at the same school.
Start with the book the show came from:
The 12 books, with what you need to know
Each entry gives the setup in our words, why it fits, what the author, publisher or readers say about content, how it ends and who should skip it. Content is split four ways: sexual detail, language, faith themes and hard topics. If a line says Not verified, we couldn't settle it from the sources we checked.
The Deal
Choose this for the college fake-dating book that started a lot of readers on hockey romance, and the one behind the Off Campus show.
Hannah wants her crush to notice her. Garrett, the hockey captain, needs a tutor to keep his grades up and stay on the ice. So they make a trade: she tutors him, and he pretends to date her so the crush gets jealous. Then one kiss makes the pretending a lot harder.
It's the first book displayed on Goodreads' hockey-romance shelf as of October 24, 2026, and Prime Video's Off Campus adapts it. Books 2–4 follow new couples; The Legacy returns to all four, so you can stop after one or keep going.
- Sexual detail: Open-door. Common Sense Media reports explicit sex on the page (Reader report).
- Language: Strong language, per Common Sense Media (Reader report).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: Readers note the heroine's past sexual assault is part of her story, along with family abuse (Under the Covers; Reader report).
- Ending and series: The author says it can be read as a standalone. Off-Campus book 1 of 5. The ending itself is Not verified; Under the Covers reports no cliffhangers (Reader report).
- Length and formats: First self-published in 2015. The current Bloom Books paperback runs about 400 pages, and a TV tie-in edition came out May 5, 2026, before the show's May 13 premiere. Ebook and audiobook too; the audiobook is read by Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon, with Apple Books listing 12 hours 26 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want no sexual scenes, or a past assault in a character's history is a hard no.
Ready for Hannah and Garrett's deal?
Icebreaker
Choose this for the figure-skater-meets-hockey-captain story BookTok made famous, with a happy ending the publisher promises.
Anastasia is a competitive figure skater who gets stuck sharing rink time with the college hockey team. She clashes with its captain, Nate, right away. When her skating partner's future starts to wobble, she needs Nate's help, and the rivalry turns into something else.
It's one of the two most-shelved hockey romances on the Goodreads hockey-romance shelf. Only Nate plays hockey; Anastasia skates.
- Sexual detail: Open-door, per Common Sense Media's content review (Reader report). The author's content warnings list consensual sexual content, and Simon & Schuster Australia marks it 18+ (Author or publisher information).
- Language: Explicit, per the author's list (Author or publisher information).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: The author lists disordered eating, toxic friendships, anxiety and stress, a near-death experience, alcohol use, and a parent's death and past cheating that are discussed but not shown; the cheating does not involve either main character (Author or publisher information). One reader database also lists a sexual assault that isn't on the author's list (Trigger Warning Database; Reader report), so check both lists if that is a boundary for you; we did not verify the scene.
- Ending and series: The publisher's description promises a happily ever after (Author or publisher information). Maple Hills book 1 of 3; book 2, Wildfire, follows different characters.
- Length and formats: First self-published in August 2022. Atria paperback, February 7, 2023, 448 pages. Ebook too. The Simon & Schuster audiobook is read by Elizabeth Louise and Tim Paige and runs 13 hours 23 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Same title, different book: A.L. Graziadei's Icebreaker (hardcover January 2022, paperback May 2024) is a young adult novel about two college hockey rivals, shelved as LGBTQ romance. Check the author's name before you buy.
- Skip it if: disordered eating is a hard no, you want both leads on the hockey team, or you want a shorter book.
Want the skater and the captain?
Collide
Choose this for campus bickering that turns sweet, with a happy epilogue readers mention.
Summer is an honors student who wants to be a sports psychologist. For a research project, she gets assigned the hockey captain, Aiden, as her subject. Neither of them wants the arrangement, and their arguing slowly turns into attraction.
A newer favorite that Berkley picked up in 2024. The setup is simple and easy to picture, and both leads have a clear reason to keep showing up.
- Sexual detail: Open-door, per a public library staff list; the publisher's page quotes a reviewer calling it spicy and sweet (Reader report).
- Language: Not verified.
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: Readers list a toxic friendship, drinking, a past car accident and talk of stalking (Trigger Warning Database; Reader report).
- Ending and series: A Books That Slay summary describes a happy epilogue (Reader report). Off the Ice book 1 of 4 (Spiral, Revolve and Embrace follow), each with a new couple.
- Length and formats: First self-published September 25, 2023; the authorized publisher preview confirms the original self-published edition. Berkley paperback, May 14, 2024, 416 pages. Ebook too. Audiobook read by Julia Knippen and Max Meyers, Penguin Audio, 12 hours 32 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want the heat level from the author's own mouth; here it comes only from readers.
Want the research-project setup?
Heated Rivalry
Choose this for the book behind the show: two rival stars in a secret relationship that lasts for years.
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two stars in their pro league, and on the ice they're rivals. Off the ice, they start a secret relationship that begins as something casual and grows into love. Both of them worry what being found out would do to their careers.
It's the source of the Heated Rivalry series, and a public library includes it on its list for fans of the show. The teams are fictional. You don't need book 1 first.
- Sexual detail: Open-door. Common Sense Media reports explicit sex scenes, and a public library staff list says the spice starts in the prologue (Reader report).
- Language: Frequent swearing, per Common Sense Media (Reader report).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: Readers list homophobia including a slur, an abusive family member, a parent's death and a mention of suicide (Stop and Smell the Books; Reader report). We didn't find a warning list on the author's site.
- Ending and series: Happy for now. The author has described The Long Game as the more definite happy ending for Shane and Ilya (Author or publisher information). Game Changers book 2; six books published and a seventh announced; their story continues in The Long Game (2022) and Unrivaled, announced for June 1, 2027.
- Length and formats: First published March 25, 2019, by Carina Press. The current paperback runs 368 pages; ebook too. A new audiobook read by Cooper North came out October 22, 2026, from HarlequinAudio, about 11.3 hours (Kobo). An earlier recording by Tor Thom (Tantor, 2019) also exists. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you need the whole love story settled in one book, or explicit scenes early on aren't for you.
Ready to meet Shane and Ilya on the page?
Behind the Net
Choose this for a grumpy goalie, a live-in arrangement and a happy ending the author promises.
Pippa is a musician whose career was wrecked by an ex. She takes a job as the live-in assistant to Jamie Streicher, a gruff pro goalie who also happens to be her high-school crush. Living under the same roof, she starts writing songs again, and the grump slowly softens.
The clearest-labeled pro-team pick we found. The author's own site lists the tropes, the warnings and the ending. "Grumpy-sunshine," one of the tropes she names, means a gruff character paired with a cheerful one.
- Sexual detail: Open-door, per the reader-supplied classification on romance.io (Reader report). The author says it has lots of spice (Author or publisher information).
- Language: Not verified.
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: The author's warnings page lists a secondary character's panic attack, a parent killed by a drunk driver, a parent's alcoholism, and anxiety and a history of depression (Author or publisher information).
- Ending and series: A happy ending, and it reads as a standalone, per the author. Vancouver Storm book 1 of 5 (The Fake Out, The Wingman, Gloves Off and The Wild Card follow); the author says every book can stand alone.
- Length and formats: First published in 2023 by Silver Springs Press; the author lists June 30 as the release date. Dell paperback, January 14, 2025, 432 pages. Ebook too. Audiobook read by Tim Paige and Savannah Peachwood, Silver Springs Press, 11 hours 38 minutes. The author's page lists Kindle Unlimited borrowing with a paid subscription; that's her statement, not a store check, and reissues can change it. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: forced proximity or a gruff hero isn't your thing.
Want the goalie and the songwriter?
Behind the Net · Kindle, paperback and audio (author's page)
Always Only You
Choose this for a patient, kind hero and a heroine who's used to being treated like a problem.
Ren Bergman is a pro hockey star who has cared about Frankie, his team's social media manager, for a long time. While she works for the team, she's off-limits. When she plans to leave for a new job, he finally gets his chance to win over a woman who's tired of people treating her as a problem to solve.
A different kind of hockey hero, and a heroine you don't see often. The author's note says Frankie is autistic and has rheumatoid arthritis, a long-term illness, and says the author worked with authenticity and beta readers.
- Sexual detail: Open-door. The author's note in the official sample says the book has on-page, consensual sexual content (Author or publisher information).
- Language: Swearing appears in the inspected opening sample; full-book frequency was not assessed (Sample checked).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: The setup includes people rejecting Frankie because of her diagnoses (publisher; Author or publisher information). A full warning list: Not verified.
- Ending and series: A happy ending is promised in the publisher's description of the series (Author or publisher information). Bergman Brothers book 2 of 7; each book follows a new couple, and the library catalog's book description calls it a standalone.
- Length and formats: First self-published August 4, 2020. Berkley paperback, December 12, 2023, 384 pages. Ebook too. Audiobook read by CJ Bloom and Nelson Hobbs, Tantor, 10 hours 18 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want closed-door, or you'd rather start a family series at book 1.
Want the patient hero?
Face Off
Choose this for a heroine who plays in the pros, and a happy ending the publisher guarantees.
Emmy Hartwell earns a spot on a struggling pro team and clashes with its captain, Maverick. After one night together, they agree to keep things casual for the season. You can probably guess how well that goes.
Readers keep asking for women who play. Here both leads are teammates. "Friends with benefits" means they agree to be physical without being a couple, at least at first.
- Sexual detail: Open-door. The author lists multiple explicit scenes between consenting partners (Author or publisher information).
- Language: Explicit language, according to the author's content notes (Author or publisher information).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: The author lists hockey fights involving blood, an off-page injury, alcohol use, and brief mentions of parental abandonment, foster care and childhood cancer. She also flags sexist remarks by side characters, including a comment about non-consensual behavior (Author or publisher information).
- Ending and series: A guaranteed happy ending, per the U.K. publisher's series page (Author or publisher information). D.C. Stars book 1; Power Play, Slap Shot, Hat Trick and more follow, each with a new couple.
- Length and formats: First self-published May 30, 2024. Atria paperback, June 2, 2026, 464 pages, with a bonus chapter. Ebook too. Audiobook read in duet by Adam Gold and Laura Horowitz, Podium Audio, April 9, 2026, 12 hours 24 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: friends-with-benefits stories frustrate you.
Want her on the ice too?
Pucking Around
Choose this only if you want a long, very explicit why-choose romance with three partners in the mix.
Rachel takes a job with the Jacksonville Rays, a pro hockey team, and runs into a man she thought she'd never see again. Her bonds with him, his best friend and the team's goalie grow into a relationship where she doesn't have to choose just one of them.
It's one of the most-shelved hockey romances on the Goodreads hockey-romance shelf. It's also a very different reading experience from everything else on this list, so read the notes.
- Sexual detail: Open-door and very explicit. The author's own notes describe detailed scenes with two, three and four people and a long list of kinks (Author or publisher information). Relationships between the men are part of the story too.
- Language: Not verified.
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: The author lists harassment, homophobic bullying, discussion of a family member's suicide attempt, histories of substance abuse, discussion of rehab and past disordered eating (Author or publisher information).
- Ending and series: Ending: Not verified. Jacksonville Rays book 1. The author says the books can be read as standalones but work best in order.
- Length and formats: First published March 18, 2023, by Emily Rath Books. The 2025 Kensington paperback (April 29, 2025) runs 640 pages and includes the prequel novella That One Night, per the publisher; an earlier 2024 paperback runs 592 pages. The Tantor audiobook, read by Amy Hall, Alex Kydd and Ash Beverly, runs about 24.7 hours and also includes That One Night. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want one couple, a quick read, or anything short of very explicit.
Want three partners in the mix?
Out on the Ice
Choose this for a slow-burn summer romance between two women, with the door closed.
Caro, a former star defender, now runs her own hockey camp for girls. Amy, an outspoken player, comes to coach there for the summer. One of them has her next season to think about and the other keeps her private life very private, so their pull toward each other gets complicated fast.
The best-sourced F/F pick we found. "Slow burn" means the romance takes its time before the couple gets together, and the author says so herself.
- Sexual detail: Fade to black. The author describes it as a slow burn with a closed-door, fade-to-black heat level (Author or publisher information).
- Language: Not verified.
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: The author lists homophobia and biphobia, discussions of mental health, and a brief mention of suicidal thoughts (Author or publisher information). A closed door doesn't change those.
- Ending and series: Ending: Not verified. Out on the Ice book 1 of 3; Unexpected Goals (2021) and Calling the Shots (2022) follow, and the author calls both closed-door too.
- Length and formats: First published August 24, 2020, by Carina Press. Ebook and audiobook, read by Chelsea Stephens; the Spotify Audiobooks edition came out in 2024 and runs 10 hours 28 minutes. Print and page count: Not verified. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want a big pro-team season, or the listed topics cross a line for you.
Want the summer at the rink?
Just Don't Fall
Choose this for a funny, closed-door hockey rom-com with a fake-dating mix-up.
Parker runs social media for a minor-league team in the North Carolina mountains, and her job is to get the players making videos. Then Logan, her brother's old best friend who ghosted her years ago, joins the team after an injury. One misunderstanding later, they're an accidental fake couple.
For readers who want the team, the banter and the swoon with nothing explicit on the page. Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor take turns writing the Appies books, so this pairs naturally with the next pick.
- Sexual detail: No sexual scenes on the page. The author calls this book closed-door with no spice, and the advance-reader listing says no spice (Author or publisher information). GoodeyReads reports kissing only (Reader report).
- Language: GoodeyReads reports no strong language (Reader report).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: GoodeyReads reports strained parental relationships (Reader report). The setup includes an injury and a painful old falling-out.
- Ending and series: Happily ever after, per the author's reader guide (Author or publisher information). This is her general promise for her romantic comedies, not our inspection of the ending. Appies Hockey Romance book 1; each book follows a new couple, and the author says you can enjoy each couple's happily ever after even if you start mid-series.
- Length and formats: First published in 2023 by Create If Writing LLC. The checked print edition runs about 313 pages. Kindle, paperback and audiobook; the Create If Writing audiobook is read by Emily Ellet and Jay Myers, about 9 hours 18 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want open-door, or a top-league setting.
Want the closed-door mix-up?
Absolutely Not in Love
Choose this for a closed-door story with a book-loving goalie next door.
A cellist has one firm rule, thanks to her brother's career: no dating hockey players. Her quiet, bookish neighbor is the team's goalie. Then he shows up at her symphony concert.
The clearest closed-door pick we found. The author states the content level plainly and says the book stands on its own.
- Sexual detail: No sexual scenes on the page. The author describes her books as low-spice with no explicit scenes, and calls this one a closed-door hockey rom-com (Author or publisher information). Goodreads reviewer Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) says some kisses are detailed and the epilogue hints at intimacy off the page (Reader report).
- Language: Mild, per Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) (Reader report).
- Faith themes: Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) notes brief references to churchgoing and life after death (Reader report).
- Hard topics: GoodeyReads and Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) report social anxiety and strained family relationships (Reader report).
- Ending and series: Ending: Not verified. Appies Hockey Romance book 2; the author says the books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- Length and formats: Published October 12, 2023, by Jenny Proctor Creative. About 319 pages. Ebook, paperback and audiobook, read by Amanda Stribling and Steven Molony, about 8 hours. The author's book page lists Kindle Unlimited as a way to read it; that's her statement, not a store check. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you want open-door, or "clean" has to mean nothing is even implied.
Want the goalie next door?
Fake Skating
Choose this for a high-school hockey romance that reviewers describe as kissing only, as long as swearing is okay.
A high-school senior moves in with her hockey-legend grandfather. To get what they each need, she agrees to fake-date the childhood friend who ghosted her, who's now a star player. He wants to look good for NHL scouts; she wants a team job for her college application.
A teen-shelf book from a big publisher, for younger readers or anyone who loves a young-adult romance.
- Sexual detail: Kissing only, per Cherokee Crum at YA Books Central (Reader report). The publisher lists it for ages 14 and up, grade 9 and up (Author or publisher information).
- Language: Heavy swearing, per Sage Moreaux at Common Sense Media (Reader report).
- Faith themes: Not verified.
- Hard topics: Common Sense Media reports underage drinking, cannabis use, fights and injury (Reader report).
- Ending and series: No series is listed by the publisher; ending Not verified.
- Length and formats: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Hardcover September 30, 2025; paperback September 1, 2026; 448 pages. Ebook too. Audiobook read by Aidan Bissett and Saylor Bell Curda, Simon & Schuster Audio, 10 hours 21 minutes. Kindle Unlimited: Not verified. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Skip it if: you're choosing for a younger teen who shouldn't get heavy swearing.
Buying for a teen hockey fan?
Fake Skating · Hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio (publisher)
How spicy is hockey romance?
Most of the best-known hockey romances are open-door, and many readers pick them for exactly that. But closed-door hockey romance is a real shelf of its own. We don't rank books by "spiciest," because authors and readers measure spice differently; instead, every heat note on this page says whose word it is.
Here's how this list breaks down:
- Open-door, per the author or publisher: Always Only You, Face Off, Pucking Around.
- Open-door, per readers: The Deal, Icebreaker, Collide, Heated Rivalry, Behind the Net.
- Fade to black, per the author: Out on the Ice.
- No sexual scenes on the page, per the author: Just Don't Fall, Absolutely Not in Love.
- Kissing only, per readers: Fake Skating.
If you're after explicit scenes with multiple partners, Pucking Around is the clear answer here: its author's own notes describe group scenes and many kinks. If you want the opposite, Absolutely Not in Love has the plainest author statement.
Heat isn't the only thing to check, though. Reviewers describe Fake Skating as kissing only but with lots of swearing. Out on the Ice is fade to black, and its author still lists homophobia and mental-health topics. For closed-door picks in other settings, try our clean romance books.
Endings, cliffhangers and series
Most hockey romances are series about one team, with a new couple in each book. That means you can usually stop after book 1 and still get a finished love story. The big exception here is Heated Rivalry: the same couple carries on in later books.
A series number tells you where a book sits, not how it ends. So this table keeps the two apart.
| Book | Series and position | New couple each book? | Fine to start here? | What the source says about this book's ending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Deal | Off-Campus 1 of 5 | Books 1–4; The Legacy revisits all four | Yes; standalone (author) | Not verified; readers report no cliffhangers |
| Icebreaker | Maple Hills 1 of 3 | Yes | Yes | Happily ever after (publisher copy) |
| Collide | Off the Ice 1 of 4 | Yes | Yes | Happy epilogue (Reader report) |
| Heated Rivalry | Game Changers 2; six published, seventh announced | No; Shane and Ilya return in books 6 and 7 | Yes, if you came from the show | Happy for now (author) |
| Behind the Net | Vancouver Storm 1 of 5 | Yes | Yes; standalone (author) | Happy ending (author) |
| Always Only You | Bergman Brothers 2 of 7 | Yes | Yes; standalone in catalog description | Happy ending (publisher series description) |
| Face Off | D.C. Stars 1 | Yes | Yes | Guaranteed happy ending (publisher) |
| Pucking Around | Jacksonville Rays 1 | Not verified | Yes; can stand alone (author) | Not verified |
| Out on the Ice | Out on the Ice 1 of 3 | Yes | Yes | Not verified |
| Just Don't Fall | Appies 1 | Yes | Yes; standalone (author) | Happily ever after (author reader guide) |
| Absolutely Not in Love | Appies 2 | Yes | Yes; any order (author) | Not verified |
| Fake Skating | No series listed by publisher | — | Yes | Not verified |
Not verified means we didn't settle that detail from the sources we checked. It doesn't mean the ending is unhappy. If a firm ending matters to you, start with Behind the Net, Face Off or Icebreaker, where the author or publisher says so. For a closed-door choice, Just Don't Fall has an HEA under Emma St. Clair's stated policy for her romantic comedies.
Close matches, and why they're not on the main list
These come up in hockey romance searches, but each one either repeats a lane the main list already covers or is missing one of our checks, usually a named source for the heat level. They're still worth a look if one sounds like you.
- Mile High by Liz Tomforde (2022). A flirty Chicago hockey player and the flight attendant on his team's plane who has sworn off athletes. The author lists explicit sex scenes, anxiety and body shaming, and her FAQ says the series stays in Kindle Unlimited (author statement, October 24, 2026). Left off because Behind the Net already covers a pro M/F romance with an author-stated ending. One catch: the Windy City series moves between sports, and book 2, The Right Move, is about a basketball player, not hockey.
- The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer (2023). Book 2 of Vancouver Storm, built on fake dating. The author says each Vancouver Storm book stands alone. Left off because Behind the Net already represents the series.
- Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (2015). Two former best friends meet again as counselors at a summer hockey camp and finally face the one night that ended their friendship. The authors note it contains sexual situations. The same couple continues in Us (2016). Left off only because we kept one adult M/M pick; it's the next one to try.
- The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy (2023). Gigi wants a spot on the women's national team and makes a deal with her college's men's-team co-captain. Its publisher quotes a review calling it both romantic and spicy, and the author's site lists Kindle Unlimited. Left off because Face Off covers a heroine who plays and The Deal covers this college.
- Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu (2018). A teen graphic novel about a former figure skater who bakes pies, joins a college hockey team and falls for his captain. It started as a free webcomic you can still read from the beginning. A school-library review service flags strong language, strong sexual themes and alcohol abuse (Junior Library Guild; Reader report). Those flags do not establish whether sexual activity is shown on the page. The story finishes in book 2, Sticks & Scones. Left off because we couldn't settle its scene-level heat.
- My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh (2023). A restaurant owner in debt blurts out that hockey's bad boy is her boyfriend, and he plays along. The author calls her work small-town inspirational fiction; Goodreads reviewer Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) reports kissing without sex scenes and brief prayer references (Reader report). Left off because the main list already covers this closed-door lane.
- Unsteady by Peyton Corinne (2023). A college captain with panic attacks after a concussion grows close to a figure skater who's raising her younger brothers. StoryGraph readers list panic attacks, emotional abuse, addiction and family trauma (Reader report). Left off because we haven't established its precise heat level.
- Consider Me by Becka Mack (2022). A star player pursues a teacher who wants nothing to do with athletes, per the author's book page. Highly shelved on Goodreads, but we haven't established a precise content level. The original record names Becka Mack as publisher; the 2023 date belongs to a later edition.
- Delay of Game by Tracey Richardson (2017). An F/F second-chance romance between a Canadian coach and an American player who were once lovers, per Bella Books. We didn't complete its content and ending check, so Out on the Ice holds the F/F spot.
- Game Changer by Rachel Reid (2018). Book 1 of Game Changers, about a different couple. The Heated Rivalry show borrows from it.
Formats, Kindle Unlimited and audiobooks
Choose the story first, then the edition. Several of these began as self-published books and now have newer editions from big publishers, so the paperback you find may not match an older review. Every main pick has an audiobook, and several have two narrators.
| Book | Narrator(s) | Audio publisher and length |
|---|---|---|
| The Deal | Christian Fox, Lorelei Avalon | Audible Studios; 12 hr 26 min |
| Icebreaker | Elizabeth Louise, Tim Paige | Simon & Schuster Audio; 13 hr 23 min |
| Collide | Julia Knippen, Max Meyers | Penguin Audio; 12 hr 32 min |
| Heated Rivalry | Cooper North (new, Oct 22, 2026) | HarlequinAudio; about 11.3 hours |
| Heated Rivalry (earlier recording) | Tor Thom | Tantor Audio, 2019; about 9.5 hours |
| Behind the Net | Tim Paige, Savannah Peachwood | Silver Springs Press; 11 hr 38 min |
| Always Only You | CJ Bloom, Nelson Hobbs | Tantor; 10 hr 18 min |
| Face Off | Adam Gold, Laura Horowitz (duet) | Podium Audio, 2026; 12 hr 24 min |
| Pucking Around | Amy Hall, Alex Kydd, Ash Beverly | Tantor; about 24.7 hours; includes That One Night |
| Out on the Ice | Chelsea Stephens | Spotify Audiobooks, 2024; 10 hr 28 min |
| Just Don't Fall | Emily Ellet, Jay Myers | Create If Writing LLC; about 9 hr 18 min |
| Absolutely Not in Love | Amanda Stribling, Steven Molony | Jenny Proctor Creative; about 8 hours |
| Fake Skating | Aidan Bissett, Saylor Bell Curda | Simon & Schuster Audio; 10 hr 21 min |
Kindle Unlimited. Two main-list entries carry author-attributed Kindle Unlimited notes: Stephanie Archer for Behind the Net and Jenny Proctor for Absolutely Not in Love. Among the close matches, Liz Tomforde says the same for Mile High and Elle Kennedy for The Graham Effect. These are author statements from October 24, 2026; we didn't check any of them in the U.S. Kindle store. A Kindle ebook isn't automatically in Kindle Unlimited, borrowing isn't the same as owning, and a new publisher can pull a book out of the program. Look for the badge on your own Amazon page. Here's how to check Kindle Unlimited in your own account.
Watch the edition. The publisher lists two U.S. paperback editions of Pucking Around: the 2025, 640-page edition includes the prequel novella That One Night; the earlier 592-page listing does not advertise it. Choose ISBN 9781496758798 for confirmed inclusion. The checked Tantor audiobook includes the prequel too. Heated Rivalry now has two audiobooks with different narrators. If the edition matters, check the details before you buy.
Free and library routes. Check, Please! (in Close matches) began as a free webcomic and is still free to read on the creator's site. For the rest, try your library's app. One library listing a book doesn't mean yours has it, so check your own.
Why is hockey romance everywhere?
Hockey gives romance writers a lot to work with: a rough, high-stakes sport next to a tender love story, plus a whole team of players to spin into a series. Then two TV shows sent a new wave of readers looking: Heated Rivalry in November 2025 and Off Campus in May 2026.
In a 2024 NPR interview, Washington Post reporter Rachel Kurzius pointed to the stakes the sport adds, the contrast between a brutal game and soft feelings, and the way a formula that works gets picked up by more writers (NPR, via Connecticut Public). She also noted that the genre has room for same-sex couples, and that its lack of diversity is part of the conversation too. That's why one label covers such different books.
Quick answers
What's the most famous hockey romance? The Deal by Elle Kennedy and Icebreaker by Hannah Grace sit at the top of Goodreads' hockey-romance shelf, and Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is the book behind the TV show that premiered in November 2025.
Is Heated Rivalry book 1? No. It's book 2 of Game Changers, but you can start with it. Shane and Ilya's story continues in The Long Game and Unrivaled, announced for June 1, 2027.
Are there hockey romances with two women? Yes. Out on the Ice by Kelly Farmer is a fade-to-black F/F romance set at a girls' hockey camp, and it starts a three-book series.
Are hockey romances okay for teens? Most are written for adults. Fake Skating is a teen book for ages 14 and up, per its publisher, but readers report heavy swearing and underage drinking.
Why are there two books called Icebreaker? Hannah Grace's Icebreaker is an adult college romance with a figure skater and a hockey captain. A.L. Graziadei's Icebreaker is a young adult novel about two college hockey rivals. Check the author before you buy.
Where to go next
Found your book? Use the link beside its entry. Still choosing? These may help:
- Want romance with no sexual scenes on the page, in other settings? Browse our clean romance books.
- Would you rather borrow than buy? Start with Kindle Unlimited romance books.
- Not sure what a "3 out of 5" spice rating means? See what different spice ratings can mean.
- Want to compare the twelve again? Jump back to the table.
Research note. We checked these books on October 24, 2026, using author websites and content-warning pages, publisher pages and official sample chapters (Bloom Books, Simon & Schuster and Atria, Berkley and Penguin Random House, Carina Press and HarlequinAudio, Dell, Kensington, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Pan Macmillan), audiobook publisher, retailer and library listings, a public library staff list, and review services including Trigger Warning Database. TV details come from network press and entertainment news. Premise, content and ending notes say whose statement they are; the fit notes ("choose this for…") are our own judgment from those sources. We didn't read the full books or listen to the audiobooks, and we didn't verify faith content for most picks. "Not verified" means we couldn't confirm it. Kindle Unlimited notes are author statements, not store checks. Formats, editions and prices change. Romance Book Guide is operated by Kozi Publishing LLC. We may use software, including AI, to help organize research and drafting, and we remain responsible for what we publish. No link on this page earns us money. How we choose books · How Romance Book Guide makes money · Send a correction
Sources
Shows and the wider genre
- Warner Bros. Discovery press, Heated Rivalry
- TVLine, Heated Rivalry season 2: everything we know; Variety, season 2 release window
- Newsweek, Off Campus season 1 release; Tell-Tale TV, season 2 renewal; Bustle, season 2 leads
- NPR Weekend Edition, June 8, 2024, republished by Connecticut Public
- St. Joseph County Public Library, For the Love of Hockey Romance
- Goodreads, hockey-romance shelf
The 12 books
- The Deal: Elle Kennedy, Sourcebooks, Under the Covers
- Icebreaker: Hannah Grace content warnings, Simon & Schuster, Simon & Schuster Australia, Trigger Warning Database; A.L. Graziadei's Icebreaker: Godwin Books hardcover, Square Fish paperback
- Collide: Penguin Random House, Trigger Warning Database
- Heated Rivalry: Rachel Reid, author FAQ, author journal, Kobo audiobook, Stop and Smell the Books
- Behind the Net: Stephanie Archer, content warnings, reading order, Penguin Random House
- Always Only You: Penguin Random House, official sample with author's note, Tantor
- Face Off: Simon & Schuster series page, Pan Macmillan series page
- Pucking Around: Emily Rath content notes, book page, Penguin Random House
- Out on the Ice: Kelly Farmer
- Just Don't Fall: Emma St. Clair series page, author site, NetGalley
- Absolutely Not in Love: Jenny Proctor book page, author site
- Fake Skating: Simon & Schuster
Close matches
- Liz Tomforde, Mile High and The Right Move; Stephanie Archer reading order; Sarina Bowen, Him; Elle Kennedy, Campus Diaries; Check, Please! webcomic and Junior Library Guild; Courtney Walsh, My Phony Valentine; Simon & Schuster, Unsteady; 49th Shelf, Consider Me
Edition and content details
- Behind the Net: U.S. Dell paperback, original Silver Springs Press record, reader heat classification, author's final Vancouver Storm book.
- Always Only You: audio edition and duration, library edition and standalone description, publisher's Bergman Brothers series description.
- Face Off: author's content notes, Atria paperback, Podium audiobook, original Chelsea Curto edition.
- Pucking Around: Tantor audiobook with prequel, 2024 paperback, original Emily Rath Books edition.
- Close-match records: Him, 2015, Us, 2016, My Phony Valentine, 2023, Consider Me, 2022, Becka Mack's premise, Unsteady reader content reports.
- Out on the Ice: Carina Press ebook, Spotify Audiobooks listing.
- Just Don't Fall: author's HEA and standalone policy, print record, audio record, GoodeyReads content report.
- Absolutely Not in Love: Lindsey's review on Goodreads, GoodeyReads review, Jenny Proctor Creative audio.
- Fake Skating: YA Books Central review, Common Sense Media review, Simon & Schuster audio edition.
- Check, Please!: Book 1 publisher record, Book 2 publisher record, creator's free first episode. Delay of Game: Bella Books.
- The Deal: Common Sense Media content review, 2026 TV tie-in paperback, author's audio directory, Audible Studios audio metadata.
- Icebreaker: Common Sense Media content review, Simon & Schuster audio metadata.
- Collide: authorized Bloomsbury preview and original-publication note, Penguin Audio edition, Books That Slay ending summary, Off the Ice series.
- Heated Rivalry: Common Sense Media content review, Rachel Reid on her standalone books, original Carina Press ebook record, earlier Tor Thom audio.
- Adaptations: Amazon's current Off Campus update, Bell Media's first-season announcement, Bell Media's spring 2027 announcement.
- Series order: Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus list, Briar U list, Campus Diaries list, Rachel Reid's FAQ. Original Game Changers records: Game Changer, Tough Guy, Common Goal, Role Model, The Long Game.
- Off-Campus publication records: The Mistake, The Score, The Goal, The Legacy.