Jamie Streicher, a hockey goalie, moves back to Vancouver to be close to his mom and joins the Vancouver Storms Hockey team. He hires Pippa as his assistant, who turns out to be a former high school crush. The book explores their past feelings, the slow development of their romance, and the obstacles they face as they come together. The story showcases themes of healthy communication, personal growth, and mental health representation, all set in the backdrop of a cute and spicy sports romance.

The book features a storyline that keeps readers interested without unnecessary drama or misunderstandings. It highlights the positive aspects of Jamie's character, such as his mental strength, positive visualization, and self-belief, which he instills in Pippa. The relationship between the characters evolves from high school crushes to a strong, supportive partnership, with a focus on building trust and intimacy in a mature and heartwarming manner.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Jamie embodying a grumpy yet supportive persona, while Pippa showcases optimism and growth throughout the story.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging with elements of dual POV, although some passages may come across as cringy to certain readers.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Pippa and Jamie, who re-establish their connection after high school while navigating personal challenges and evolving feelings for one another.

Setting:

The story is set in contemporary Vancouver, incorporating aspects of the local hockey culture.

Pacing:

The pacing is initially slow but accelerates as the romance develops, allowing for a gradual build-up of intimacy.

Notes:

The main characters, Jamie and Pippa, had crushes on each other in high school but never acted on them.

Jamie works as a hockey goalie for the Vancouver Storm and hires Pippa as his personal assistant.

Pippa is a struggling musician who takes the assistant job while looking for other opportunities.

The book features themes of personal growth and overcoming past insecurities, particularly for Pippa.

There is a significant focus on hockey throughout the story, with detailed descriptions of games.

The book contains a mix of sweet and steamy moments, with notable chemistry between the leads.

The romance builds slowly, starting with a friendship and evolving into something deeper.

There are no third-act breakups, which some readers find refreshing.

Stephanie Archer has been praised for her character development and the emotional depth of the relationships.

The story includes unique elements, like Jamie being supportive of Pippa’s journey to find confidence in her personal life.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings may include discussions of past relationships, anxiety regarding intimacy, and personal struggles with self-worth.

Has Romance?

The romance in 'Behind the Net' is a central focus, with significant emotional and physical intimacy developing between the characters.

explicit steam level

From The Publisher:

He's the hot, grumpy goalie I had a crush on in high school... and now I'm his live-in assistant.

After my ex crushed my dreams in the music industry, I'm done with getting my heart broken. Working as an assistant for an NHL player was supposed to be a breeze, but nothing about Jamie Streicher is easy. He's an intimidatingly hot, grouchy jerk who can't stand me. The guy has a massive ego. Keeping things professional will be no problem, even when he demands I move in with him.

Beneath his surliness, though, Jamie's surprisingly sweet and protective.

When Jamie learns how bad my ex was in bed, his competitive nature flares, and he encourages and spoils me in every way. The creative spark I used to feel about songwriting? It's back, and I'm writing music again. Between wearing his jersey at games, rowdy parties with the team, and being brave on stage again, I'm falling for him.

He could break my heart, but it might be worth it.

Behind the Net is a grumpy-sunshine pro hockey romance with lots of spice and an HEA. It's the first book in the Vancouver Storm series, and can be read as a standalone.

Tropes:

grumpy sunshine

slow burn

boy obsessed

pro hockey

forced proximity (boss vs assistant + roommates)

spice coaching

Ratings (29)

Incredible (5)
Loved It (9)
Liked It (9)
It Was OK (4)
Did Not Like (1)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (47):

Read It (30)
Want To Read (15)
Not Interested (2)

1 comment(s)

aimeereadsss

Loved It

5 months

JAMIE + PIPPA

~ Hockey Romance

~ Forced-Proximity

~ Spice

I really enjoyed this book. I just came across it on KU and ended up devouring it in like 24 hours. Cute romance with spice and actually just loved the story. It was really beautiful, and Pippa's development as a character is really good :)

Worth the Read!

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Behind the Net?

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Behind the Net

Stephanie Archer

Book 1 in the series:Vancouver Storm