I thought the story was cute and I love a second chance romance. The language and dialogue did throw me off during certain chapters as I sometimes couldn’t tell which POV I was in. So that made me not able to fully get sucked in.

Other than that I love hockey romance and enjoyed the book. Thank you for the ARC!

I loved the characters and the representation of fibromyalgia throughout pregnancy ! I also LOVED little Jack! The only thing that lost it stars for me was I kept waiting for a dramatic moment/ some adversity - many things seemed very easy for them to resolve! Overall, a great cosy read with loveable characters

Elias Ainsley and Liam Ruinsky were once the perfect match, but life had other plans.
A decade after their painful breakup, they unexpectedly cross paths again. Much has changed-Elias is now a dedicated single mom to a spirited five-year-old and successfully runs her own flower shop, while Liam has risen to fame as a star NHL hockey player. Yet, despite the years apart, the undeniable chemistry between them still simmers beneath the surface.
What started as a fleeting one-night stand quickly spirals into a life-altering situation when Elias discovers she's pregnant. Suddenly, both Liam and Elias are thrust into a whirlwind of emotions as they grapple with their unexpected reality. With a baby on the way, they must confront their feelings for each other and reassess their futures. One thing is clear for Liam-he's determined to be fully present and involved in this new chapter of their lives. Will they find a way to build a family together, or will they decide love just isn't part of their game plan?
As a mother of two and someone living with and navigating the challenges of fibromyalgia, I found it incredibly refreshing to see this condition portrayed authentically in a main character. It's not often that we get such a genuine depiction of the complexities of balancing chronic pain with the beautiful yet demanding role of being a mom. I loved seeing these challenges represented with such sensitivity and realism!
Elias's journey is not just about love rekindled; it's about resilience, community, accepting oneself and finding peace amidst the chaos.

“Melting for You” was a delightful and heartwarming read that offers a refreshing portrayal of a character living with fibromyalgia. The book’s depiction of Ellis’s condition is both realistic and nuanced, showcasing how it affects her daily life without defining her entire identity. This thoughtful representation adds depth and authenticity to her character, making her feel relatable and real. The story’s charm lies in its ability to blend sweetness with emotional depth, leaving readers with a warm and satisfied feeling. For those seeking a comforting and cute story that also touches on meaningful experiences, “Melting for You” comes highly recommended.

Melting for You delivers a heartfelt second-chance romance with a refreshing layer of emotional depth and chronic illness representation. Ellis Ainsley, a chronically ill single mom, crosses paths with her ex, NHL player Liam Ruinsky, ten years after their breakup. One impulsive night leads to a life-changing pregnancy, forcing them to navigate co-parenting, unresolved feelings, and high-stakes public pressure.

What stands out most is the honest portrayal of Ellis’s life with fibromyalgia. It’s rare to see chronic pain represented so authentically in romance, and the author deserves credit for exploring the challenges of motherhood and illness with such care and realism.

That said, the plot choices may be polarizing. The recurring theme of accidental pregnancies and some impulsive character decisions made it difficult at times to fully engage with the romance. While the emotional undercurrent is strong and the chemistry between Ellis and Liam is undeniable, the repetitive narrative beats and lack of grounded decision-making pulled me out of the story.

Overall, this book has meaningful themes and strong representation, but the execution may not work for every reader. Those who connect with emotionally driven storylines and character growth will likely find something to enjoy here, while others may struggle with the pacing and plot choices.

Thank you to Hera Books & NetGalley for allowing me to read this!

Thank you so much net galley for allowing me to read this early. I was super excited to read this book who doesn’t love a good hockey romance?

The plot was a hockey player that was in love with the girl in high school. They parted ways found each other years later had a one night stand where she got knocked up. This potentially could’ve been a really good storyline. I just felt like it was a little boring in some places I did like hearing about the struggles that you’d have being pregnant and with fibromyalgia. I think that was a really good twist to put on the pregnancy. I did think it was a good book overall I just felt like it wasn’t for me and at times I felt it was a little boring.

Melting for You - Tegan Phillips

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️🌶️/5

A chance encounter 10 years after their break up, puts NHL player Liam Ruinski and single Mom Ellis Ainsley back in each other’s orbit. For Liam, Ellis will always be the girl that got away, and after one night together results in an unplanned pregnancy, he’s willing to put the work in to ensure she never gets away again.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming, feel-good, second chance contemporary romance. As a mother who is also living with fibromyalgia I felt this was truly an authentic representation of pregnancy and daily life as someone who experiences chronic pain.

I experienced the gamut of emotions while reading this book. The banter between Ellis and Liam had me giggling, watching Liam and Jack’s relationship evolve and develop had me swooning and the authentic chronic illness representation warmed my heart.

If you love:
-charming hockey players
-loveable side characters
-second chances
-sassy banter
-he falls first
-adorable nicknames

Then do not hesitate to read Melting for You by Tegan Phillips.

I am not ready to let these characters go, and hope that this becomes the first of many books with these characters.

Thank you to Tegan Phillips, Hera Books and Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

Elias Ainsley and Liam Ruinsky were once the perfect match, but life had other plans.
A decade after their painful breakup, they unexpectedly cross paths again. Much has changed—Elias is now a dedicated single mom to a spirited five-year-old and successfully runs her own flower shop, while Liam has risen to fame as a star NHL hockey player. Yet, despite the years apart, the undeniable chemistry between them still simmers beneath the surface.

What started as a fleeting one-night stand quickly spirals into a life-altering situation when Elias discovers she's pregnant. Suddenly, both Liam and Elias are thrust into a whirlwind of emotions as they grapple with their unexpected reality. With a baby on the way, they must confront their feelings for each other and reassess their futures. One thing is clear for Liam—he’s determined to be fully present and involved in this new chapter of their lives. Will they find a way to build a family together, or will they decide love just isn't part of their game plan?

As a mother of two and someone living with and navigating the challenges of fibromyalgia, I found it incredibly refreshing to see this condition portrayed authentically in a main character. It’s not often that we get such a genuine depiction of the complexities of balancing chronic pain with the beautiful yet demanding role of being a mom. I loved seeing these challenges represented with such sensitivity and realism!

Elias’s journey is not just about love rekindled; it’s about resilience, community, accepting oneself and finding peace amidst the chaos.

Dive into this book if you’re a fan of:
🏒 Hockey romance
💘 Second chance love
🧑‍🧒 single mom stories
🤰 Accidental pregnancy tropes
🩺 Authentic representation of chronic illness/fibromyalgia
💕 A beautifully large found family
❤️ he falls first and harder
💯 An all-in, devoted MMC
🌶️ Spice

TW- explicit sexual content, Single parent, deadbeat dad (not main couple), chronic illness, accidental pregnancy

Melting for You had potential, and the writing itself wasn’t bad, but I struggled with the storyline. The FMC’s choices made it really hard for me to stay connected to the story.

After an accidental pregnancy with her boyfriend (who then bails), she reconnects with her old flame — supposedly the love of her life — and almost immediately ends up pregnant again after a one-night stand with unprotected sex. Honestly, I just couldn’t get past that. It made it hard to believe in the romance or root for the characters when their decisions felt so reckless and repetitive.

While I appreciated the emotional undercurrents and the general writing style, the plot choices pulled me out of the story too often to fully enjoy it.

This book was so emotional for me. As a single parent who doesn’t have much support, this made me bawl in multiple different places. Mostly in a good way. To see the development of these characters and how much Liam stepped up to the plate so easily not just for their shared child but for Jack as well….🥹 this is such a great read!

This was a cute romantic Ice hockey book. He falls first with a surprise pregnancy. I couldn't put it down.
personally I wanted more ice hockey back story even though this one was a little different from most the ice hockey romances. (not a bad thing)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars but I round up.

Second chance sports romance with an unplanned pregnancy.

This was enjoyable to read & very enlightening regarding chronic illnesses, especially when it comes to how many of them are not visible. Worth the read & the chemistry between the Liam & Ellis is palpable.

Melting for You was such a wholesome, feel-good read. It’s a second-chance accidental pregnancy story that follows Ellis and Liam — and honestly, I adored them. The whole vibe of the book was lighthearted and easy, perfect if you’re looking for something sweet without a ton of heavy drama.

Liam completely stole my heart. He was so adorable with how he immediately stepped up and treated Jack like his own. Watching him be there, so naturally and lovingly, was one of my favorite parts. It just made the story even more heartwarming.

Ellis’s fibromyalgia was also an important part of the book, and I really appreciated how it was handled. It was shown realistically — how it impacts her daily life — but it never felt like her whole identity or the whole point of the story. It just made her character feel even more real.

Overall, Melting for You was such a comforting, sweet read. It’s the kind of book you finish with a big smile on your face. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something cute and a little emotional in the best way.

Thank you Canelo for the ARC.

I enjoyed the story but the book was a bit too slow for me. It focused on the Ellis's individual growth with overcoming her past trauma so that she could be successful in a relationship. This was a second chance romance and despite the dual POVs, I was tired of reading things from El's POV. She is a realistic character with regard to her chronic illness and motherhood in general and her growth is very gradual. For a book, the slowness of her growth started feeling redundant so it became quite a boring read for me until she figured out life a bit more.

Although I’ve rated it 2 stars, I did enjoy the story and the characters.

This was described as a second-chance romance, which is technically is as the main characters are exs; however, it’s not the typical storyline of one of them did something wrong and is trying to win the other back. These two split when he was drafter to the NHL in college and she didn’t want that life… 10 years later and a one-night stand re-connects them which an accidental pregnancy.

The description did not include that this was a pregnancy trope or that the FMC is a single mum. (So hears your heads up)

I enjoyed the story and the characters however, it felt like we missed key moments. They were discussed after the fact rather than letting us live through them. There also seemed to be little dialogue. By this I mean that we mainly lived in the thoughts of each character rather than having regular open conversations.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: single mum, second-chance, exs, hockey mmc, found family, accidental pregnancy
Overall rating: 2/5

nothing too special! chronic illness rep is always great to see, and i liked that there really wasn't any third act break up, just natural relationship issues. can totally see the rest of the series set up with the other side characters, and liam and ellis would be great supporting roles in those books!

Liam and Ellis haven't seen each other in 10 years. Ellis left Liam in college so he could pursue his dream of NHL. Liam always said Ellis was the one that got away. They run into each other at a bar and have one night only, they said... pregnancy test later... positive. Ellis, already a single mother, is worried how Liam will take the news... Will he run, or will they finally be together?

Okay so… I love hockey romances and this had a good concept however I think it lacked a bit of depth.

It was good and fast paced and I finished the book in 2 sittings however some parts felt a bit too rushed and some felt like they needed more time. I wish we got to see a little bit more about the relationship rather than just one minute she wanted him the next she didn’t.

I throughly enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

First of all, many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC granted to me. Another great and compelling sport romance to the reading list! I liked the way the authr had include the chronic illness fybro, since My mother's been suffering from it , so I like when I find stories that talk about it.