Thank you to Netgalley, the author Kelly Jamieson and the publishers for letting me reward and review this advanced copy. Ben is a professional hockey player soon to hopefully be the new captain if he can get out of his shy awkward shell. He is living at his best friends apartment until he moves into his new apartment in the same building a floor up. Mabel is the sister of Ben’s best friend. She just broke up with her boyfriend Julian, who is her ex boyfriend who is controlling and emotionally abusive. She is now staying on her brothers couch since the extra room Ben is living in. She is outgoing, easily lovable and a very happy person. This is such a cute best friends sister romance. Their connection first happened when they were teenagers and acted on the feelings years later. It’s a great book.

Mabel and Ben were so cute together. I liked their friendship and seeing them get closer. But I didn’t really see the chemistry between them.

This was an okay story, but it wasn’t my favorite. The overall storyline wasn’t all that interesting, and it didn’t leave any lasting impression on me.

This is one of the best sports stories I've ever enjoyed (that's not usually my genre). The characters were delightful and the tension was perfect.

Such a easy sport's romance read 😊
Brother’s best friend and opposites attract were the tropes which I really loved here!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Give me a hockey romance and brother’s best friend trope any day!!

Ben and Mabel had great chemistry and I loved their story. She is a social butterfly and he is an introvert. She is helping him try to be more outgoing at events. Of course they’re going to fall in love!

This book was a fun and fast paced read! I really enjoyed it!


📘: Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson
🗓️: January 16, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, Kelly Jamieson, and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley, Amazon, and Goodreads.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I ended up finishing the book in just a few sittings and really enjoyed the story and characters.

I’ve been reading Kelly’s books for years and I’m so glad I was able to get a copy of this one early thanks to Boldwood Books. I’m never passing up a best friend’s sister book, especially when there’s sports involved.

Mabel and Ben are electric together. When they’re forced to live together, the long ago crushes come rushing back. And going behind Mabel’s brother’s back only adds to the tension and excitement.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC of this book.

I held high hopes for this book as I was reading - I recognised a name thrown in a few chapters in. It was a charter from one of her other books that I had read on the interactive story app “Chapters”. And it’s one of my favourites on that app! So I was excited to have this ARC…

But then, it got cringey. And just not great. I skipped over so much as it was repetitive and just not needed for the story at all.

Small errors made me a little annoyed - Mable had been there a couple of weeks and the fundraiser was the following week. Then suddenly, 2 chapters later it was a few weeks later…. No fundraiser?
Then a line was like “it had been a month since the all star games” …. So it had now been 5 weeks since the fundraiser was supposed to happen?
Finally the fundraiser happened.
THEN when her brother found out about Mable & Ben, Ben said they had been hooking up “for weeks”. Her brother responded: “she’s only been here a month!”
No. It had been at least three months by the written timeline. I’m not sure the author kept note on that which was disappointing.

It just dragged and nothing really happened. And the thing with the married team mate and his family!? What was that needed for!? There best be a story on him somewhere in the future otherwise that story line was COMPLETELY unnecessary.

This is a tale of forbidden attraction, emotional growth, and undeniable chemistry. A captivating novel that brings to life the tension-filled dynamic between Ben, a determined but socially awkward hockey star, and Mabel, his best friend’s sister who’s suddenly living with him. As the two navigate their complicated history and the undeniable attraction simmering between them, readers are treated to a story that’s both fun and emotionally satisfying.
Ben, the team’s star player, is thrust into the role of captain, a position he feels woefully unprepared for, especially when it comes to leading his teammates off the ice. When Mabel, his best friend’s sister, moves in temporarily, the situation becomes even more complicated. What starts as a seemingly simple arrangement soon spirals into much more as old feelings resurface, and the line between friends and something more starts to blur. Ben’s vulnerability as he tries to overcome his stage fright and step up as a leader adds a depth to his character, making him more than just the typical tough hockey player.
Mabel, on the other hand, is a strong and independent woman with her own struggles. Moving in with her brother is a temporary solution to her personal issues, but it brings her face to face with Ben again. Their past history is filled with unspoken tension, and it’s clear that the spark between them is still alive. Mabel’s ability to help Ben navigate his social anxiety while also trying to suppress her own feelings for him creates an engaging push-and-pull dynamic that makes the romance all the more irresistible.
The chemistry between Ben and Mabel is undeniable, but it’s the emotional vulnerability they both display that makes their relationship feel real. Their development as individuals and as a couple is both satisfying and believable, making this a story not just about love, but about personal growth and overcoming obstacles.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I love a opposites attract romance and then let's throw in some hockey and I am hooked!
Ben and Mable will steal your heart make you laugh and will make you want to join their friend circle.
Ben is a socially stunted hockey player that is on the cusp of becoming captain. Yes, he shines on the ice but when you put him in a social situation, he is at more than a loss for words. Let's now get to know Mable. She is sunshine in a bottle, birds chirping on a Spring morning and Ben's teammates sister. As Ben watches this woman ace every social situation an idea occurs to him. Maybe she can coach him on breaking out of his shell. I loved watching this couple navigate a deal, friendship and then romance! They are sweet, funny, they have great chemistry, and they certainly brought on the sizzle!
~~Michele McMullen~~

Great spin on a hockey romance. Yes, it is a brother's best friend but in a unique way where 2 people see the same situation very differently. I could see both sides and loved when they finally worked out. Mabel was a fun main character - and I loved that she made her brother insane :) as every good sister should!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is cute, it's predictable in a sense but this isn't a bad thing! It's less hockey, more personal relationships & self-growth. The growth both characters make while acknowledging that there isn't anything wrong with them as they are is such a good thing to see. It did feel at some points that it was really like hammered home..like, literally written on the page.

The FMC leaves a bad relationship where her ex is just a real ass, and there are some comments made by her brother & her parents that are frankly kinda shitty & in the same vein as what her ex said and they didn't seem to really be addressed so that bugs me.

Based on the cover, I wouldn't have bought this - not a fan of people or torsos on the cover at all. I would however read more from this author (maybe on kindle if the covers are like this).

Another day, another sports romance to love 💙

⭐ Rating Criteria ⭐

💙 Plot:

I genuinely really liked this book. I could relate a lot to Ben who has social anxiety. I think the disorder was portrayed quite nicely in this story, so kudos to the author for writing it well.

I loved how Ben and Mabel’s romance developed - there was an established relationship between them already since they’ve known each other since high school, and their story picked up nicely when they met again after Mabel moved in with her brother.

💙 Characters:

I just love Ben - he’s so sweet and authentic - I also love how patient and understanding he is, especially during that third-act with Mabel. I really enjoy reading about how their relationship is developing because of how cute their dynamic is. I think they’re a great introvert-extrovert match and they can definitely learn a thing or two from each other.

💙 Overall:

This was such an easy and enjoyable read. I'll always eat up a brother's best friend romance, and this one did not disappoint! Not only did I love the main characters, I also really liked the found family trope in this book ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to share my honest review of this ARC ❤️

I could.not put this book down. The brothers best friend trope was done so well, and it is a great addition to the world of hockey romance.

Ben is up for a promotion to team captain but there's one problem - he hates public speaking! To make matters worse, his best friend's sister ends up living with them and Ben has had a crush on her for forever.

Mabel didn't intend on starting over after a bad break-up, but here she is...living with her brother and his best friend, Ben. Both guys are hockey plays and one of them needs her help becoming a more confident and outgoing version of himself. Mabel thinks she can help, but she knows that Ben is serious temptation!

I really loved how the author was able to bring a real-life issue into this story (social anxiety) and how the characters were able to have fun with each other. The spice was and chemistry between the characters was so good and was written well overall. I'm excited to read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

I talked about this book in a hockey romance vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0qght0SxLI

Brother’s best friend / childhood crush / opposites attract. Loved this one listened to it on Spotify and it was a quick listen. Will be looking for more by this author!

Ugh I love a brother's best friend trope, throw in forced proximity and enough said! I adored this book, Ben was such a sweet MMC, he's got hard core social anxiety and my favorite parts of the book are when he's trying to work on this skill., the Starbucks scene was my absolute fave! I think it was nice to see a man who was okay to be vulnerable and wasn't a cocky, perfect dude. Mabel is his perfect foil, she's a social butterfly coming out of her cocoon after a toxic relationship. I love their chemistry and how they both help each other and are so understanding. This was a very endearing, lovely book and the spice was on point!

I am big in my hockey romance era. I liked the main characters and I like the brother's best friend trope. I liked the interactions between Ben and Mabel. I was really liking the book until a turn that made it a chore to finish the book. I just wish this one part was not included. I know that it was used as part of character development, but I think it could have been achieved in a different way. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book before this event happened.

Spoiler takeaways...


I liked the interactions with the teammates and how they attempted to help Ben, which backfired.
I felt that the family siding with the ex can be very true in some situations with controlling narcissists.
The accident didn't need to destroy the family and as someone with a child around the same age, it just ripped out my heart and I did not want to finish.

First of all, I love a sports romance! So, when I got the opportunity to read my first book with this author, I was excited. Overall, I think this book was good - not super original, but it was a quick and easy read. Between the introverted MMC and the brother's best friend trope, I found this one really entertaining. I loved the role reversal where the FMC is the outgoing one with a past since it's rarely the case in sports romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.

A smutty hockey romance, my guilty pleasure. I love good hockey romance and crossing the line has it all, opposites attracts, likeable characters and a perfect mix of funny and serious moments.
A beautifully written plot with spicy moments that didnt make me cringe.