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.

3.75/5

This was a short and sweet hockey romance. The plot was very consistent throughout. Kelly Jamieson tackled several issues (abuse and child loss), I wish she would have gone more in depth about the topics. Hopefully this turns into a hockey series!

Such a hot book with sexy hockey players! I was immediately engrossed in the story. I loved the plot between Ben and Mabel, and how everything turned out in the end.

what if your crush–who happens to be your brother’s best friend, ask your help to teach him how to be more approachable? Let’s measure the pros and cons, pros: you both could be friends again like before, cons: you might get your heartbroken again by that close-ness. Now this is what Mabel currently going through after her broke up and crashing to her brother’s apartment to only meet her childhood crush, Ben. Worse, Ben needs a public speaking and lessons to be outgoing and she is his only choice. Can they survive each other and live their own lifes without breaking each other hearts? Or will they take the risk?

I think “Fresh” will be the word to explain this book, since Jamieson made a fresh combination of a shy hockey captain and an outgoing librarian. It’s how Ben brought stability to Mabel’s chaotic energy that makes me fell in love with their relationship.

Plot wise, I think the story is pretty much predictable and simple but I think there’s a lot of valuable lesson that I could get throughout their story, especially as the unapproachable shy myself, I think I could connect mostly with Ben and I could learn from Mabel’s way of being a social butterfly. And I do enjoy to read the development of both characters, Mabel to gain back her self-esteem after going through separation with a toxic partner and Ben to became more understanding to his surroundings. I do wish I could get more interaction between Mabel and her family, especially her brother.

If you are looking for Opposite attract trope, Hockey romance, and Brother’s best friends, then this book is your perfect choice for a quick read!

✨ Publication date: January 12, 2025✨

Crossing the Line is a steamy hockey romance by Kelly Jamieson. This book had all the tropes: grumpy/sunshine, brothers best friend, second chance. This was my first by this author and won’t be my last!

After years in an emotionally abusive relationship, Mabel finally leaves her boyfriend. Her family and friends don’t get it, they think Julian is wonderful and it’s just her quirkiness that’s causing the rift. Mabel is too embarrassed to tell her family exactly what happened until she gets back on her feet again.

Mabel’s twin brother is an NHL player who takes her in until she can find a place of her own. She’s got to stay on the couch though, his best friend and fellow hockey player Ben is using the spare room. Mabel had a huge crush on Ben growing up so it’s going to be awkward but she’ll manage.

Ben has his own issues. He’s got an opportunity to be captain of the team next season but the team executives want to see more of him publicly. Ben would literally rather skate naked in a crown than speak in front of a room.

Mabel’s quirky personality is just what he needs to help coach him how to manage the public in any setting. Ben has a charity meeting and gala coming up and asks Mabel to help him. She knows she owes her brother for taking her in so she agrees.

Mabel and Ben both harbour childhood crushes for each other and the chemistry when they start spending more time together is undeniable. They start a no strings attached relationship but can’t seem to get enough of each other.

When Ben expresses his true feelings, Mabel panicks. Can she get past her fears and see Ben’s love for what it is? Or is she destined to be alone forever?

This was an easy, quick read for me. I enjoyed the authors writing and I really did like the characters and their relationship. It’s steamy, but I was underwhelmed by the bedroom scenes, they were just okay. This is a 4 star read for me.

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

#NetGalley #kellyjamieson #crossingtheline

I really liked how well the two main characters came together in a realistic way. The book felt very realistic and of course the hockey was great too!

This was a wonderful read. two very different main characters who really fit together so well. Perfect opposites attract. The line 'introvert in an extrovert society' really resonated with me and I realised how true that statement is! I really loved how the FMC helped hte MMC gain control of his introvert-ness through various tools. Her support was just lovely to read. So caring and wonderful! I would have liked a little more character depth and the spice scenes were a little plain. All up, a great read! I hope there is more to come from this author!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Kelly Jamison for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this hockey romance, the characters' honesty and vulnerabilities.
Off the ice this was a wonderful love story, two characters totally opposite in personalities. The introvert and the extrovert.
I will say I wanted a bit more at the end on Mabel and her new career.
All in all I truely enjoyed this read :)

Ice hockey player Ben close to being named team captain, but first he needs to come out of his shell and believe in himself so he can be the voice of the team to media and supporters. His best friend's sister Mabel - outgoing, bubbly and confident - agrees to help him manage his fear of public speaking.
It turns out that Mabel had a teenage crush on Ben, and all those feelings are coming back as they work together.
Ben and Mable are likeable, with believable vulnerabilities, but the story does lack depth and the plot is rather predictable - but hey, it's a hockey romance with brother's best friend and a great way to escape the outside world.

I always like a good hockey romance, and Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson is an easy choice for that criterion. Mabel, an outgoing librarian, moves in with her twin brother after a recent breakup and unexpectedly reconnects with her childhood crush—Ben, a professional ice hockey player and her brother’s best friend.

The author has masterfully woven a heartfelt romance between the main characters while highlighting important aspects of relationships, adding depth to the story. The characters are well-developed, and even the side characters seamlessly enhance the reading experience, making the novel even more enjoyable.

If you love hockey romances with well-rounded characters, strong chemistry, and an engaging storyline, I highly recommend Crossing the Line.

Lots of tropes, a fast paced story, and so much spice!

Note Trigger Warnings per author:
- Past toxic relationship
- Serious motor vehicle accident involving secondary characters
- Death of a child of secondary characters


What happens when your childhood crush is your brothers best friend and you are all living in the same apartment?

Will Mabel survive crashing on her brother's couch knowing the man she can't stop thinking about is a few feet away?

Will Ben ignore his friends warning and pursue Mabel? Will he be able to be more outspoken or remain introverted and lose the one woman he can't stop thinking about?

A fabulous book if you are looking for a spicy hockey romance read with a great character and plot arc.

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read Crossing The Line early.
We are introduced to mabel, who's a bright light, full of energy working in her dream job as a librarian. That is until her boyfriend makes an automation, him or her bestfriend.
Ben, is a NFL hockey player who happens to be living with mabels brother, his bestfriend since school. Ben can be very shy and stuck in his head. When the opportunity arises to become the team captain, Ben is worried he won't be confident to lead them to victory.

I loved the duel pov, getting to see how both characters go through challenges together and separately

Brothers best friend, hockey romance - can I say more… What more do you want or need!?
I love that the big brawling hockey player was shy and don’t like the public eye and the cute librarian girl was the outgoing one - it was a welcomed chance!
The romance between the two was cute and I enjoyed how supportive of each other they are.

A hockey romance, the story of Ben and Mabel. She is staying with her brother and so is Ben, and when he needs help with public speaking he turns to her to help. Will they become more than friends. Looking forward to more books in this series.

Crossing the Line by Kelly Jamieson offers a fun and steamy twist on the brother’s-best-friend trope, set against the backdrop of the high-energy world of hockey. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and the slow-burn tension builds nicely throughout the story. The romance has plenty of heated moments, and fans of the genre will enjoy the familiar dynamic of forbidden attraction and the eventual swoon-worthy payoff. However, while the characters are likable, they don’t always feel fully developed, and some parts of the plot can feel a bit predictable. Still, for those who enjoy a quick, spicy romance with a touch of sports, Crossing the Line is an enjoyable, though not groundbreaking, read. It’s a solid choice for a light, fun escape.

From the start of the book I was pretty offput by the interactions between people. Everyone calling Mabel crazy and cooky. Like she’s the undesired weirdo. Or in the case of her ex Julian. He sounds like a tool and manipulative narcissist. It didn’t really get better the further in either. I thought it was a negative base for the new guy to come into the scene. I was wrong. The brothers and family are kinda jerky too.

Absolutely fantastic read from start to finish I could not put this book down a definite must download you will not be disappointed

::| Crossing the line
By Kelly Jamieson
Chapter 2 Page 15
Ben
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

[ I'm silent. There aren't many people I'm comfortable with to spill my guts to, but Smitty is one of them. I've known him the longest of any of the guys on the team, even though we played on different teams for years. We were good buddies as teenagers, stayed friends as pro players, and hung out and trained together every summer when we went home. But still I hesitate. “I'm not cut out for a bunch of PR stuff. I'd be the face of this organisation, and you know what that means. Make speeches, press conferences, ribbon-cutting bullshit.”]

Mabel has everything she could possibly want, a great job that she adores, a loving partner, a home that gives her happiness and contentment, everything people want in life.. so why did she feel something was wrong?
Why does she feel dread coming home to a house she shares with Julian? Her partner, the one she trusts the most?

Ben is an introvert who struggles to make his voice heard. He overthinks and prefers his own company, even in groups of people he knows. He sees everything but says nothing. His life is on a tilt at the moment while he crashes at his best friends place, waiting for his own place to become available.

What happens when the introvert clashes against the extravert?

This is a tale of twisted affection, self-love, emotional balance, and the right timing for perfection, delicately wrapped up in this bundle of a spine-tingling, charming book. I must admit the spice I didn't think would be appropriate because of the vivid pictures it created, but wow!! What an author. What a story. What a book!

A huge thank you to Kelly Jamieson, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and relay my honest feedback. |::

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

Ben and Mabel had a lot of potential, and I was interested in this title as I enjoy a slightly forbidden story.

Unfortunately, this one was a slow burn that lost me in the middle of the story as it was so slow I started to lose full interest in the story. I saw what the author was trying to do, to build on the friendship, but for me it left me feeling disengaged from the story.

I am unable to recommend this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kelly Jamieson for a copy of this ARC.

This is a hockey romance where you have the girl falling for her brother’s best friend. Ben is a quiet, introverted hockey player that has everything he needs to be team captain. Except the talking part. He gets offered the job as captain but must be ambassador for this company that helps children of abuse. He is not good at talking to at all so he decides to hire Mabel.

Mabel is his best friend’s sister. So, she is staying with her brother too for some time till she can get back on her feet after leaving a toxic relationship. When she gets to her brother’s place, she sees that her old high school crush is there. She ends up on the couch while looking for a new job and place to stay. Mabel decides to help him with his issue, and they end up starting a relationship.

This book made me laugh and made me cry. It was nice to see the struggles and growth of both characters. You get to see Ben learn that he can talk to others and do great at it. With Mabel, you watch her find who she used to be and be something even greater. Overall, I would say that if you want a laugh out loud book that gets you in your feels and has hockey pick this one up.

I will say do check the trigger warnings if you have experienced a toxic relationship, been abused.