✨ Publication date: April 29, 2025✨

Off Your Game is a steamy hockey romance, the first in the Chicago Red Tails series by Susan Renee.

Carissa Smallson starts her new job tomorrow and can’t believe the audacity of the man preventing her from finishing her grocery shopping and get home to bed. After refusing to give him the last box of lucky charms, as hot as he was she hopes she doesn’t see him again!

Carissa’s new job is the social media manager for the Chicago Red Tails. To her surprise the broody man she met at the grocery store is Colby the captain of the team and he’ll do anything to avoid her.

Carissa and Colby are thrown together through team events and eventually find some common ground. As they spend more time together there is definitely an attraction. They have both sworn off relationships but can somehow see a future together until Carissa’s past comes back to haunt her and Colby isn’t sure she’s the woman he thought she was.

This was a good steamy hockey romance. There were a few bumps including some cringey moments between the main characters. He was also over the top grumpy and then all of a sudden wasn’t. I would rate this 3.5 stars and will definitely read the next instalment!

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

#NetGalley #susanrenee #offyourgame

4:5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am definitely back in my hockey era!!

This was such a fun series to come across and I always love the first book in the start of a series😍

Colby was so frustrating at some points but you could tell he really cared about Carissa and just had not dealt and grieved with his past properly😭

Their initial meet cute was hilarious and I couldn’t stop laughing at the hockey players in this book, the sense of found family was amazing!!

I can’t wait for Milo next but I already know I will love Dex’s book😂😂

“This woman is enough to keep me warm. To keep me grounded. To make me whole. She’s everything “

Off your game by Susan Renee is book 1 of the Chicago Red Tails series. Off your game is a hilarious enemies to lovers romance between a hockey player and the team's new marketing rep.

Told in alternating points of view from Colby and Carissa. Colby is the team captain and Carissa just got a job as the new pr social media specialist for the hockey team. The hockey team loses the game and Colby decides to go to the supermarket to get his lucky charms cereal, which he believes is his literal lucky charm. The two meet at the supermarket when Carissa takes the last box of Lucky Charms serial. The banter between the two is hilarious. I do think the characters could have been a bit more well rounded, with a bit more back story to them, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Genres for this book: hockey, sports romance, enemies to lovers, contemporary romance, workplace romance

Thank you Susan for partnering with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book since hockey romance is one of my favourite genres, but I didn’t enjoy the writing style at all and I didn’t like the MMC:(

I really struggled to read it!

I wasn’t sure if this was going to be something I liked even though I absolutely love sports romance. The MMC wasn’t for me at the beginning. He did redeem himself once you found out more about him although it was a slower progress than I would have liked. Overall the story was decent the FMC was a great strong character her background was really surprising that things like that do actually happen but the rabbit hole that I went down suggest it happens alot in America! So shocking that parents can do that to their children.
Overall a good start to a series and I there are deffo some team members I want to know more about and I can’t wait for their books!
🌟🌟🌟🌟

For me, this didn't hit, predominantly because the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope is too often hard to take seriously, even in a meet-cute such as this. It really has to be brief, or a minor conflict that ultimately builds the strength of the relationship for a greater trial. In the case of this book, it was kind of the core conflict.

That being said, if you're looking for a light and fun read, with decent banter and mild spice, this might be for you. Colby and Carissa have a lot of fun and adorable conversations, side-characters were fun (some really intriguing; even more so than the mains, at times), and it has all the usual things that we love in a light sports romance.

For me, though, that miscommunication just felt too much like manufactured drama for the sake of it, and I personally need more.

I adore a Hockey Romance and I love the chance to read this book hockey and forbidden romance say less! Give me 10 more! Can not wait to read more of this series!

Hockey and grumpy x sunshine - this book has everything you need. It was such fun to read and if you are a fan of a hockey romance then you will enjoy. Carissa was an amazing FMC to follow and I really enjoyed her.

Hockey books are always a 5 star with me. Susan Renee is a new author for me, thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to be introduced to her and this series. I look forward to book two. From the first chapter, I was cracking up! The witty banter between Carissa and Colby was amazing. It is a quick and easy read. This is a cute, spicy, romantic and laugh out loud story. The main character Colby, who plays for the Chicago Red Tails and Carissa, the new marketing representative for Colby’s team. Before she started as the marketing representative, she met Colby by accident at a grocery store as they fought over the last box of cereal. She was unaware of who he was, and Colby was shocked that she did not recognize him or know who he was. Wouldn’t you like to be in the room when they met and recognized each other. As the story begins to unravel, they find things in common and form a bond, which later turns into something more serious. However, could this serious bond that they have ruin him? Do they end up together or being swept away from one another?

If you love hockey romance then this one is definitely for you! I found the read enjoyable, but at times I did find myself putting it down and taking a couple of days to pick up only because I didn’t get attached to the main characters like I usually do. However, it was still a solid read and I would still recommend it to those who love hockey romances! I enjoyed the plot and the writing style, but character development could have been beefed up a bit more. Colby and Carissa often times had the same verbiage which is probably why I felt like their characters weren’t dissimilar. I appreciated the enemies to lovers aspect which kept me engaged and on my toes.

I absolutely love it and highly recommend it. Great writing, amazing characters and a great plot.
Carissa and Colby are absolutely great together and I love their story and chemistry

Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley.

I really liked reading this book. It was such a fun read.

What to expect:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Hockey Romance
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Slow Burn Romance

Love a good hockey romance! This was fast paced and enjoyable to read. Great main characters and supporting characters throughout.

This is yet another Hockey Love story, and I'm here for it. All because of a box of Lucky Charm, the Captain of the Red Tails ran into the would be PR person for the team. They don't know that they are actually coworkers yet, but there's some kinda of zip and zap between them. As time goes on, the Cap becomes less grumpy, and slowly they get to know each other and get together.

They pit Smalls as a victim, but she's determined not to be and do the right thing even though at the cost of herself. And Cap of course can come in and wave it all away with money, but she won't take it. You'd think that would be enough to proof she's an upstanding person. But when the hardship came, he bailed on her. Turns out it was a big fat misunderstanding, and I get they love each other, they should torure hi some more...

I feel like there should be trigger warning of grief and anxiety attack. But there are also love, it is as though they just got to this grownup experience and they are at the brink of something bigger in their lives. And luckily lives together. I love the two of them together..

I do want to say, this author make the book very readable, hook you in fast, draw out the delicious (and spicy), and move the plot along. I read this in 2days, truly enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley & Victory Editing for the ARC

I enjoyed reading Off Your Game by Susan Renee. It was such a fun hockey romance filled with angst, banter, and heartbreak.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

🏒Enemies to Lovers
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Hockey Romance
🏒Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒Slow Burn
🏒Whitty Banter

Carissa and Colby have undeniable chemistry right off the bat, starting at the local super market. And they both complement each other perfectly. Carissa is a very sassy and bold, whereas Colby can tend to be quiet but also broody. They do have a little bit of a push - pull dynamic throughout the book but once they give into their relationship more they seriously become the cutest.

Fans of hockey romances, this needs to be top of your TBR list! It starts with an argument over Lucky Charms, but quickly blooms into so much more. I really liked Carissa from the start, and even though she has a lot going on in her life, she does great at her job, and enjoys her time with the team. Colby I was a bit on the fence about, he seemed a bit caught up in his head at first, but he definitely grew on me. The banter between them had me giggling, and I’ll admit at times I just wanted to shake them and ask why they didn’t realize they were meant to be together. The pacing is pretty good, and the tension mixed with a bit of spice keeps you hooked. Definitely recommend!

If you loved the briar u series by elle kennedy you will love this one.

Amazing hockey romance, spice off the chart. A must on your TBR

Off Your Game is an absolute delight from start to finish. The chemistry between Colby and Carissa leaps off the page with every witty exchange and lingering glance. From their hilarious cereal aisle showdown to their undeniable connection on and off the ice, this enemies-to-lovers romance is packed with charm, banter, and heart.

Colby’s brooding hockey captain vibe pairs perfectly with Carissa’s bold, sunshiney confidence. The dual POV adds just the right emotional depth, letting us fall for both characters in equal measure. I couldn’t get enough of their push-pull dynamic and slow-burn tension that built to a swoony, satisfying payoff.

With humor, heat, and heart, Off Your Game is a fantastic kickoff to the Chicago Red Tails series—I’m already loving the direction it’s heading!

✨Enemies to Lovers
🏒Forced Proximity
✨Grumpy/Sunshine
🏒Slow Burn
✨Witty Banter
🏒Opposites Attract

Thank you the author, R&R Book Tours and Page & Vine for the gifted e-arc!

People. PEOPLE. Hear me out — this book was so good! I loved every second of it. The attraction and tension between the MCs? Off. The. Charts. There were moments I had to pause and take a few deep breaths before continuing because the chemistry was that palpable.

Watching the MMC fall fast and hard for the FMC was an absolute treat — and getting his POV during some of the best moments? Chef’s kiss. It added so much emotional depth to the story and made it even easier to root for their connection.

Let’s talk about the spice… because whew! It was HOT. Like, fanning-yourself-as-you-read hot. 🔥

If I had to nitpick, I would’ve loved a bit more of a slow burn. What pining we did get was amazing, so I found myself wishing there was more. Their rapid shift from a chaotic meet-cute to hating each other to a quick friendship and romance was a bit jarring at first — not quite insta-love, but close enough to catch me off guard. Still, the connection felt genuine and fun once I settled in.

Overall, this was a light, spicy, and totally enjoyable read. I’m so excited to dive into book two — Unfair Game, which is already out?! Let’s gooo.

Thank you to NetGalley and Susan Renee for providing me with this eARC!

Super cute! Really loved the characters and side characters! I am an absolute sucker for a 1. Hockey romance and 2. A woman who can give the MMC a run for his money. As team captain woman are supposed to bow down, but Carissa does anything but and I loved that for her!