This may be the first time I’ve read a book with a golden retriever MMC and a shy girl. The nice guy and the nice girl, it’s a beautiful thing, yall! Don’t get it twisted though, their personalities are vastly different.

🤵‍♂️MMC plans the wedding. Talk about golden retriever energy!

💓Logan and Parker cameos

I’m excited for Van’s story! He’s more complex than you would think after the first impression. I know his story will be a good one!

CW/TW:
Biblical curse words. Fade to black moment while married. The word, “sex” is mentioned a few times. Parents passing away from car wreck (past), parental abandonment (past), older relative with dementia (present), and parent with chronic illness (present).

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing Co-Op and Emma St. Clair for this copy.

Link to IG review: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4ai_paLQ99/?igsh=MTc3YTk0eng3c3U0aQ==

What an absolutely adorable read! Emma St. Clair writes incredible characters that draw you in and keep you riveted to their stories. On the surface, 𝗔 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗡𝗘'𝗦 𝗢𝗪𝗡 is a fake relationship, sports romance but once you delve deeper it becomes a charming and endearing love story that will melt your heart with its sweetness and humour.

I was immediately drawn to both Eli and Bailey. He’s a great big teddy bear and she is a pocket sized ball of energy and light. Together they were so adorable. Watching them yearn for one another was everything and you just knew that they were going to fall hard and fast for each other. Which they did. In spectacular fashion.

I read this sweet, closed door romance in one sitting and have zero regrets. I’m giving 𝗔 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗡𝗘'𝗦 𝗢𝗪𝗡 the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

Thank you Emma for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

😍😍😍😍omg the characters in this one are perfect. It is easy to fall in love with both Bailey and Eli right away, but then as you get to know them even more you realize how perfect they are together. I enjoyed the chronic pain representation and thought it was well done. Maggie and Annie was seriously the best side characters. I could read a whole book just about them messing with Eli. I loved the bonds they formed with Bailey. The epilogue was the best way to end this book!!

Please let Annie be a future book!!

"A Groom of One's Own" is an absolute gem in the realm of closed-door marriage of convenience hockey romcoms. Eli Hopkins, a hockey player with the Appies, faces the threat of deportation due to administrative error unless he finds someone to marry within thirty days. Enter Bailey, a shy but determined woman who agrees to the arrangement for financial reasons, but soon finds herself falling for Eli for real.

From the get-go, I was completely smitten with Eli and Bailey's story. Eli is the epitome of a gentle giant, with a heart of gold and a romantic soul. His tender care for his sick mother and his unwavering devotion to Bailey make him utterly swoon-worthy. Bailey, on the other hand, is a wonderfully relatable character with a backbone of steel beneath her shy exterior. Their journey from a fake marriage to genuine affection is both heartwarming and entertaining.

The plot is engaging from start to finish, with plenty of humor and heartfelt moments along the way. Emma St. Clair masterfully weaves in the marriage-of-convenience trope without it feeling cliché, and the chemistry between Eli and Bailey leaps off the page. The supporting cast of characters, including Eli's teammates from the Appies, adds depth and charm to the story.

Overall, "A Groom of One's Own" is a feel-good read that will leave you with a smile on your face. It's a perfect choice for fans of sports romance who prefer a lighter touch of heat. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Eli and Bailey's journey, and I can't wait to dive into more stories from the Appies series. 10/10 would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love the Appies and will read every single book about these hockey boys no matter what.

Emma’s first book about the Applies, Just Don’t Fall, was a favorite of mine last year and I couldn’t wait for more.

Eli and Bailey did not disappoint. I love marriage of convenience and this one was really well done! Also, Emma knows how to write tension and chemistry for her characters!

Eli is such a total golden retriever and a total cinnamon roll. I loved him so much. His family is also amazing! I loved him with Bailey and I loved Bailey for Eli, together they were chefs kiss perfect!

All the guys in the team also crack me up constantly and I love them and can’t wait for all their love stories! Gimme more!

Sweet, fun and loving Eli. Big hockey player with a bigger heart. He needs to find a wife in less than a month to stay in the States. Bailey, the shy woman he sees every time he goes to the animal shelter seems like a good fit. But while they plan their weeding and really star to know each other their feeling seems to grow exponentially. Can they have a chance at real love even if their beginning isn’t a regular one? Great story.

This story was cute! I was invested from the beginning even though I pretty much guessed the outcome. I loved it from start to finish. My sweet ladies at the library will love it too!

I am ESTACTIC that Emma is continuing the Appies series!

One of my favorite things that Emma does is slow down relationships. Something I sometimes struggle with in romance is how characters immediately go from strangers to, uhm, lovers. While that's realistic to some relationships, I've never experienced that kind of bond as quickly as we see in the fictional world. I immensely enjoy that Emma's characters get to know each other slowly, build that foundation, and how kissing can be filled with so much wanting, tension, and adoration.

I love the opposites attract in this story so much. Bailey is shy and reserved. Eli is outgoing and has tons of friends. I also loved the found family storyline for Bailey... she's lost almost all of her family, she has a very small friend group, her boss is a big meanie, and she's feeling a little lost in her own life, as well. She knows Eli, but she's shy and doesn't know any of the "details" of his life, including his job. But I love that Eli makes her feel safe enough to come out of her shell and be brave.

Eli always seems to have the world at his fingertips, but a little visa makes his world stop spinning. He can't stomach giving up his life, his hockey team, or the safe space he's created for his mom and her health battle. Enter a marriage of convenience plot, literally suggested by a lawyer, even though it's fraudulent - LOL.

I liked many things about this book:
- Seeing the Appies teammates in all their silly/goofy moments
- Eli being an instantly protective person in Bailey's life
- Eli making Bailey feel super special - the birthday fun, taking care of her in her sketch apartment, wanting her to come to his games (in his jersey and HIS JERSEY ALONE, swoon lol)
- The way Maggie adopts Bailey instantly

This is a very solid, sweet hockey romance! Definitely recommend! Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for early access to this one! Out now!

A Groom of One’s Own was a sweet and easy read with some really heart-touching moments! I absolutely loved Eli’s golden retriever energy and Bailey’s shy nature. I think the pair complemented each other really well. The side characters were also a great addition to this story.

Thank you to NetGalley & Emma St. Clair for a copy of this book! A Groom of One’s Own is now available for purchase and on KindleUnlimited NOW!

4.0/5.0
* marriage of convenience
* no spice

A Groom of One’s Own • Emma St Clair
•••
I adore Emma St Clair’s sweet romcoms and this one was no exception. Chalk full of adorable tropes (marriage of convenience, forced proximity, one bed to name a few) this book delivered all I’ve come to expect from my favorite sweet romcoms. While apart of a series, you can definitely read it as a stand alone. You’ll fall in love with the characters and want even more when you’re finished!
•••
Premise: a Canadian hockey player stands to lose everything when his visa runs out. Jokingly management suggests he find a wife & quickly. He brushes it off but when the girl he’s been eyeing when he volunteers at the animal shelter surprisingly says yes to help him out, things just might turn around for them both.
•••
Read if:
-you’re a fan of a cinnamon roll MMC
-you love animals
-you’re looking for books with chronic illness representation
-you love a marriage of convenience romcom (cute hockey players thrown in for good measure)

I loved this book, it is everything you would want in a sweet, closed-door rom-com. I’ve enjoyed several of author Emma S. Clairs’s previous books and A Groom of One’s Own was no exception. The MMC in this book is Eli whom we are introduced to in her contribution Just Don’t Fall to the Sweater Weather collection which was a collaborative effort between the 7 authors and released in fall 2023.

Eli is the epitome of a golden retriever, he is sweet, loving and cares deeply about the people around him. There is simply no way not to fall in love with his characters. Eli has it all, wonderful friends and family (his mother is an absolute gem, loved her so much) and a successful hockey career with the Appie, that is until a clerical error puts him at risk of losing it all. Facing deportation Eli has to make some big decisions regarding his future, an off-handed comment about a marriage of convenience has him thinking but how would one even pull that off in 30 days when Eli is very much single.

Enter sweet and lovely Bailey. Bailey works at the local shelter and absolutely loves animals, she dreams of one day returning to school to fulfill her dream of becoming a vet. She is independent and used to doing things on her own. Due to a family tragedy, she is the sole caretaker for her aging grandmother and with the rising costs of the dementia facility where her grandmother lives she is starting to realize her dream of becoming a vet may never become more than a dream.

I was a little hesitant going into this book, marriage of convenience is not my favourite trope as it so easily goes wrong but I have read and loved several of Emma S. Clair’s books in the past and this was no different. The found family trope is a big part of this book and I loved every minute of it, from Bailey’s friends and Eli’s family to the brotherhood of the Appies there is plenty to go around and it really warmed my heart how they all welcomed each other into the fold.

This is a must-read for all fans of contemporary romance and rom-com, you will adore the loveable characters and the Appies brotherhood. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Thank you to author Emma S. Clair for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I love a hockey romance, and this book did not disappoint! This was such a feel good romance, I can’t wait to read more by Emma St. Clair

This was me

50% - 3stars

74% - 4 stars

Finished the book - 5 stars

at the beginning, it was more of a instalove situation and I didnt care much about the details of where the plot was going but as soon as it hit 50%, it was getting good! 74% in, I loved how the story unfolded but I wanted more to push it to 5 stars. As soon as I read the last page, I was head over heals with Bailey and Eli. Emma St Clair did it. What a beautiful marriage of convience story. I think what also pulled my heart string was the HUGE found family trope. I obessed with the APPIES and all the guys are totally swoonworthy and not douchebags. It was refreshing to see the protective nature of Eli but it didnt shy away from a strong heroine. We need more good men written. Thank you Emma St Clair

No Language, no explicit scene , no three pages makeouts.

"awkward together"


content warnings:


*I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and the author. All opinions are my own

So sweet!

This is a hockey romance, and it's book 1 in its series, but there's a few characters from the authors' other series, Sweather Weather.

Eli Hopkins does have it all. He plays for a great team, he has a bunch of friends, and takes care of his mom (omg, you guys will love him). He's good-looking, sweet, and a great player. Oh wait, he doesn't have it all.

He just found out that he's about to be sent back to Canada. That will mean the end of his position on his hockey team.

Bailey doesn't really have it all. She does have a job she loves (some coworker excluded) working in a veterinarian office and some good friends. But she's alone supporting her grandmother, who's in a nursing home. She wants to go to college but doesn't have the money.

These two sweethearts know each other, and when secrets are revealed, they realize they might be able to help each other out. This one was really, really sweet. Both of the MCs were sweethearts! I call it the sunshine/sunshine trope. He really is one to take care of everyone, and I love that in a character. I enjoyed the book a lot. It was funny, full of sugar and animals?!

This is a classic sweet romance by classic sweet romance author Emma St. Clair.
Welcome back to the Appies saga. This hockey romance-adjacent series with the mixed collab series called Sweater Weather (check it out on Kindle Unlimited), where book 1 (Just Don’t Fall) and book 7 (Absolutely Not in Love) featured some dreamy hockey players. Have I entered my hockey romance era? Because this sure feels like it.

Okay, deep breath. Is there any scenario where I can trade in my husband for Eli Hopkins (also… what is his real name???), because this man is dreamy. In a classic situation, hunky Hop’s work visa is about to expire, and moving back to Canada is not an option. When the immigration lawyer – jokingly, maybe – suggests a green card marriage, everyone laughs it off… except Eli can’t get a certain dog shelter worker out of his head. Sweet, shy, Bailey can’t deny the hot hockey player who just wants to look after abandoned puppies and his sick mother, so really, what’s the harm in agreeing…

This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This charming romance is a must-read for fans of sports romance. Eli, a hot hockey player with a heart of gold, steals the show with his caring nature and adorable relationship with his mother. Bailey, the shy and introverted protagonist, blossoms in Eli's presence, making for a delightful read. Their story is a heartwarming blend of romance and personal growth, perfect for a quick and enjoyable read.

Eli Hopkins has it all; a hockey carrer with the wildly popular Appies and teammates who are like brothers. All that's missing is someone to share it with, and correctly filed visa paperwork. Unless he can find someone to marry him in the next thirty days, he'll lose everything.

Enter Bailey, the cute lady he met at the animal shelter he liked to stop by at for some "dog therapy". She was shy so he made it his mission to have her talk to him more. She had problems of her own, including the rising cost of taking care of her grandma who suffered from dementia and also saving up for vet school. So they struck up a deal which only his teammates and her close friends knew about.

I loved so many things about this story. Eli was a golden retriever with so much love to give and I loved that he found his person in Bailey who never thought he was too much. Bailey found her people and finally got to feel loved by found family.

The lead up to the wedding was exciting and the wedding itself tugged at my heartstrings. I met so many new characters and they all made the story even more enjoyable. I cannot wait for more Appies stories!

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great read, can't wait for the rest of this series. A fake marriage story for Eli and Bailey, as Eli needs to get married for a visa, but will it end up being real?

I just loooove Emma St. Clair's romcoms because they have the perfect balance of sweetness, tenderness, and humor. A Groom of One's Own is the latest story in the Appies world, and Eli and Bailey dazzle. A marriage of convenience plot can very easily go in an unsavory direction, but this one played out so beautifully. Definitely check out this book if you enjoy fake dating with real feelings, hunky hockey players with a whole lot of heart, family-focused characters, men who plan weddings, cute puppy hijinks, and the sweetest love stories, but do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with the first book in the series, Just Don't Fall.

Thank you to the author and publisher for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own. I loved it!!