KEEPING THE SCORE is the second instalment in Kelly Jamieson’s contemporary, adult THE NEW JERSEY STORM erotic, hockey romance series, a spin off from the author’s BEAR’s Hockey series. This is New Jersey Storm goaltender Ford Archibald, and thirty year old business woman Andi Marsh’ story line. KEEPING THE SCORE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ford and Andi) KEEPING THE SCORE follows in the wake of the arrival of the baby Ford knew nothing about. Approximately one year earlier, Ford Archibald had a one-night stand, and with the knock on his door, Ford discovered he was a father, and the child’s mother had an emergency back home. With the help of his neighbor Andi Marsh, Ford would learn to navigate the life of a single father, a position he never wanted and struggled to accept. Andi Marsh is a divorcee whose husband cheated with her best friend. Never having thought about raising a child, Andi is thrust into a world she knows nothing about but a world that is quickly becoming her norm.

The world building focuses on Andi and Ford’s introduction to parenthood: nothing will ever be the same, and the fall-out is about to affect not only their personal lives but their careers as well. As the weeks turn into months, Andi and Ford begin to struggle with the possibility of losing the child they had grown to love but another visit with the child’s mother is about to bring everything into perspective .Ford is a perfectionist, almost compulsive in his need for schedules and precision, and in this, a baby is not conducive to the world in which he lives.

The relationship between Andi and Ford begins as neighbors and friends. When Andi asks Ford to be her plus-one at a business event, Andi will come face to face with her past, and the reality of what was will hit her hard. Andi never thought she would again fall in love but their time together felt more like a family than a burden or job. The $ex scenes are passionate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including most of Ford’s New Jersey Storm teammates. We are introduced to both Ford and Andi’s parents, as well as Andi’s ex Trevor, and his new girlfriend Haven Gray.

KEEPING THE SCORE is a story of secrets and lies, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is alluring; the characters are determined and dynamic.



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⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

This was cute, light and fluffy.

I enjoyed reading about Fords struggles and him learning that not everything has to go according to routine.

I appreciated that Andi always has a matching bra and panties because same girl same 😂

The character development and the challenges these two face together and alone was so emotional and uplifting all at the same time.

The little girl, don’t stop it, I nearly balled my eyes out. She is SO cute! 😊

If you’re looking for romance with a side plot of hockey. This one’s definitely for you.

Four and a half stars

KEEPING THE SCORE is the second in Kelly Jamieson's series about the New Jersey Storm. Ford Archibald is the goalkeeper for the Storm, and has been very focused on improving his play and making the most of the upcoming season. He's arranged his regime carefully to this end. Andi Marsh owns her own marketing consultancy firm, and remained friends and neighbors with Ford through her unpleasant divorce. When Ford essentially becomes a single father overnight, baby Tilly draws them together to tackle the responsibility. Their friendship blossoms as they stumble into being a family neither realized they'd wanted.

Kelly Jamieson writes the camaraderie and support of Ford's team so well. Ford and Andi find themselves juggling their new responsibilities with their growing feelings and their professional plans. I really enjoyed seeing Andi and Ford grow as their emotions became increasingly involved despite initial intentions and Tilly stole the show. Looking forward to more in this series!

I think Ford Archibald might be one of my favorite heroes that Kelly has ever written, and since Kelly has so many of my favorites that is definitely a bold statement! While the world might see Ford as a quirky goalie those close to him know that while he likes his routine he is also so kind, generous and so loving. He also seems to exude confidence but deep down he is unsure of himself. So when he is thrown for a loop and finds a baby on his doorstep pivoting and changing up his routine is hard, but he does and turns out to be the best dad.
Andi has really closed herself off after her divorce dashed her confidence. Andi is really a talented driven woman. I really enjoyed how her confidence in herself grew throughout this book along with her openness and ability to trust again. I also love how she stepped out of her comfort zone and supported Ford and loved Tilly.
These two were really an amazing team, had a solid friendship with great communication before they started to burn up the sheets, because oh my goodness together these two were so HOT! I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with all three of them! I cannot wait for more from this series!

4.25⭐

Keeping the Score is a hockey romance that is playful, sexy, sad, tense, sweet, and so much more. I was completely captivated!

As hockey player, Ford finds himself literally bringing up baby when he discovers a newborn left outside his apartment. So he turns to his friend and next-door neighbor, Andi, for help, but she has no more idea about how to care for a tiny human than he does.

Yet, Ford needs all the assistance he can get as his neat, orderly world is turned upside down.

However, Andi takes some convincing, but as the pair learn to care for baby Matilda together, they start to see each other in a new light, and a romance soon begins to blossom.

And with plenty of relatable moments, great chemistry, and lots of feels. This particular hockey romance left me with a smile on my face.

It's definitely one to read on the beach this summer!

Keeping the Score is a sweet and satisfying romance with just the right amount of spice. Ford’s world turns upside down when he suddenly finds himself taking care of a baby, and his connection with his neighbor Andi is both heartwarming and fun to watch unfold.

Their chemistry felt natural, and the romance built up in a way that kept me hooked. The spicy scenes were definitely there, but they didn’t overpower the story—which I really appreciated.

Even though it’s part of a series, this book stands on its own just fine. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good romance with a bit of emotional depth and a solid love story, this one’s a great pick!

This had all the great tropes, neighbours, friends to lovers, Grumpy x sunshine and best of all Tilly 😍

I loved this hot romance and was routing for them from the start such a great couple. I think I actually cheered when Andi met her ex husband 💪
Sweet steamy and humour. This book has it all

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First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Keeping The Score
By Kelly Jamieson 

This is a sports romance,  forced proximity, unexpected baby trope.

Ford is focused on his game and he's determined to break records as a goalie.  He has quirks, but he manages his stress with meditation. All his carefully planned regimens go up in smoke when a hookup drops a bomb in his lap, his four-month-old daughter.  She needs him to take over her care, immediately.  He's out of his element and desperate for help. 

Andi is working on getting her life back on track after her cheating ex left her spiraling.  Now she's doing great on her own, bringing in clients and yes,  working too much.  When her neighbor who has been there for her asks for help, of course, she's going to lend a hand.  Is she a baby person,  no,  does she know what she's doing,  also no.  Yet this one little person may help both Ford and Andi realize that everything they thought they wanted wasn't what they needed.

This is book two in the Storm Hockey series and it can also be enjoyed as a standalone but you'll enjoy Crossing the Line so don't skip it. I loved everything about this book. It was a spicy and sweet friends/neighbors-to-lovers story with a surprised single dad/hockey player and his recently divorced friend/neighbor. I loved Ford and Andi, their chemistry and attraction was strong. I love watching Ford learn to let go of his perfectly organized structure and routine life now that he has baby Tilly to take care of. I love how Andi was there for him when he needs her the most even though she has no experience with babies and has no clue what to do like him. I love how they worked together to figure things out to take care of Tilly and through all their struggles they eventually fell in love. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

I had read the first book in this series, Crossing the Line, and loved it so I was very excited when Boldwood Books reached out to me about this book. This has so many tropes I love - hockey romance, single dad, friends to lovers - and I also loved reading about how Andi and Ford's spicy and emotional relationship developed. It also doesn't hurt that Ford's unexpected daughter, Tilly, is adorable and that she makes Andi and Ford that much closer. I hadn't realized until now that the author, Kelly Jamieson, is a well known and best-selling sports romance author and she's written many hockey romances before. Thank you to Kelly Jamieson and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read Keeping the Score early!

Keeping the Score by Kelly Jamieson.
The new Jersey storm book 2.
This was a really good read once I got into it. I did like Ford. Especially how he was and how he dressed. I liked Andi too. I loved the chemistry between them. Baby Mathilda was so cute. I read this book in two sittings. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I liked the writing style and the story. I did like Alfie. I do hope we have a book on him soon.

Blurb.
Score big with this BRAND NEW steamy single dad ice hockey romance!⛸️❤️‍🔥 FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING SPORTS ROMANCE AUTHOR KELLY JAMIESON Perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy, Chelsea Curto and Kenna King!

Tropes:

🥅 Sports romance

🥅 Single dad

🥅 Friends to lovers

🥅 Alpha male

🥅 Forced proximity

🥅 Slow burn

🥅 Spicy af!

An unexpected game changer…

Ford

My brain is hard-wired to hockey. To train hard, to win, to be the best. I don’t date, I basically live and breathe hockey and I plan everything. Until I find a newborn baby outside my apartment. It’s like something out of a movie, except she’s mine and this is my life. I panic, the only person I know who can help is my neighbor Andi. But in doing so, I risk inviting her into my life. So far she’s just been a friend, but I’m out of my depth and losing control. Now with each late night together, we feel like a family and I can see the lines blurring.

Andi

I have no idea how to look after a baby. But Ford has always come through for me. So now it’s my turn to help. It’s only temporary. I know Ford is a pin-up, but I’ve never been attracted to him…until now. Seeing him holding his tiny daughter is melting my heart. I thought I had no interest in love and settling down, but I’m catching feelings. I just know this set-up won’t last forever, but I’m scared of what will happen when things go back to normal...



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I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review, from Boldwood Books via Netgalley.

This is a spicy romance, though not overly spicy. I’d say a 2.5/3 out of 5 on the spicy scale. The story is a friends-to-lovers between Andi (who works in advertising/ marketing) and Ford (a professional hockey player) with topics of second chance at love and learning to accept ourselves for who we are.

For me, I found the leading characters were both well written and their relationship was full of mutual respect, affection, love and humour with real gender moments mixed in.

I loved the chemistry and attraction between Ford and Andi that blend with a genuine fondness for each other's company. Both characters including the supporting cast are well rounded and relatable, which you don’t often find in these genres.

I loved how the author captured Ford’s obsession with planning together with all of his superstitions, and actually how these were routed from his childhood. And I just love how the baby, Matilda didn’t follow his schedule, like, at all which made me laugh out loud at times. Mixed with the situation everyone seems to have found themselves in was also that of loss and grief, particularly in someone so young. Having lost my sister in law recently, these scenes had me bawling my eyes out.

Overall it was a really well rounded enjoyable read. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series after this.

An emotional journey of healing and determination! With the second book in her New Jersey Storm hockey series, Jamieson turns her goalie's life into turmoil with the discovery of a baby he knew nothing about being dropped into his lap. The characters are endearing, the plot is a mix of adorable and emotional and the overall story is heartfelt. I loved the friendship that Ford and Andi shared before things turned into more between the two of them. He helped her previously when her life was turned upside down and seeing her get to do the same for him before things started to progress was very heartwarming. Lots of humor, so much heart and a little sadness all made for a really great story. Highly recommend!

Another great book by Kelly Jamieson 🎉 We all know I’m in my hockey romance era 🎀🏒 and this one did not disappoint!

Ford is a professional hockey player, a goalie to be exact, who is laser-focused on his game. He doesn’t do relationships, just the occasional one-night stand. Andi, his neighbor, was married to a pro baseball player who cheated on her, so she’s not looking for love either.

But everything changes when Ford finds out he has a baby daughter, Matilda, and her mom drops her off for “just a couple months” while she deals with a family emergency. Ford is completely out of his depth, and Andi who also doesn’t know anything about babies steps in to help. What starts as friendship (with some serious chemistry 👀) turns into something deeper as they both fall for this sweet little girl… and maybe each other. 💕

This one is spicy, swoony, and full of heart. I really enjoyed it!

This wasn’t my favorite from Kelly Jamieson, and as someone who typically loves her hockey romances, I found myself a little surprised by how different this one felt. While the premise—a single dad, hockey player, and a woman who steps in to help—sounded right up my alley, I struggled to connect with both Ford and Andi for most of the book.

Ford’s POV had moments of humor (his fashion choices made me smile), but his dynamic with Andi often felt transactional. She seemed more like convenient childcare than someone he genuinely appreciated, especially early on, and the book never clearly explained why she felt so obligated to go above and beyond for him.

That said, there were still things I enjoyed. Ford’s relationship with his parents—particularly his mom—was a sweet touch, and Andi’s resilience as a business owner was admirable. I also appreciated that, despite her struggles, she remained deeply caring and supportive of those around her.

The miscommunication trope played a big role here, and while it did add tension, it also led to a lot of avoidable frustration. I wanted more honest dialogue between them earlier on.

The twist toward the end caught me off guard—it does bring clarity to the biological mother’s actions, which had felt confusing for most of the book. I do think this development could benefit from a content warning in the final version, as it's potentially triggering and quite emotional.

Bonus points for Alfie! He was such a standout secondary character, and I’d love to see him get his own story in the future.

While Keeping the Score wasn’t a total win for me, there were still enough engaging moments to keep me reading. If you’re a fan of single dad romances and emotional slow burns, this might still be worth checking out.

I loved this book defo its second book in the series

Tropes:

🥅 Sports romance

🥅 Single dad

🥅 Friends to lovers

🥅 Alpha male

🥅 Forced proximity

🥅 Slow burn

🥅 Spicy af!

An unexpected game changer…

Ford

My brain is hard-wired to hockey. To train hard, to win, to be the best. I don’t date, I basically live and breathe hockey and I plan everything. Until I find a newborn baby outside my apartment. It’s like something out of a movie, except she’s mine and this is my life. I panic, the only person I know who can help is my neighbor Andi. But in doing so, I risk inviting her into my life. So far she’s just been a friend, but I’m out of my depth and losing control. Now with each late night together, we feel like a family and I can see the lines blurring.

Andi

I have no idea how to look after a baby. But Ford has always come through for me. So now it’s my turn to help. It’s only temporary. I know Ford is a pin-up, but I’ve never been attracted to him…until now. Seeing him holding his tiny daughter is melting my heart. I thought I had no interest in love and settling down, but I’m catching feelings. I just know this set-up won’t last forever, but I’m scared of what will happen when things go back to normal...

Keeping the Score is the new release by author Kelly Jamieson. This is an awesome friends-to-lovers story that is pure joy to read.

Ford is a professional hockey player that is completely devoted to his career, not leaving him much time for anything else. All of that changes when her finds out that he has a daughter from a one night stand a year ago. On top of learning that, he needs to somehow manage to take care of her for a few months. He thinks he has found a way to manage it all...if he can convince his friend and neighbor to help him.

Andi has sworn off men after her husband cheated on her and their marriage came to an end. Needless to say, her self-esteem is at an all-time low and it will be a long time before she trusts any man again. However, when her friend Ford pleads with her to help him, she can't say no to him. What she doesn't expect is to slowly see him as more than a friend. Can she really trust giving her heart to another pro athlete?

The story that unfolds is perfectly told and reads at a great pace. The story pulls you in immediately because you want to see how it all plays out. The story is full of heart, comedic scenes, witty banter and taking chances. Along the way, there are also some unexpected twists and turns.

The characters are well-developed and easy to relate to. Ford is a bit different from the typical lead character, which I truly enjoyed. He had a different kind of upbringing, which plays a role in how structured his adult life is. He is career driven, and has some quirks that I found to be quite interesting. He is also a man with a sense of humor, and I lost count of how many times I laughed at his thoughts. As for Andi, I was able to completely relate to her because I know the devastation felt when cheated on, and the insecurites that follow afterwards.

The friends-to-lovers aspect wasn't immediate, which makes it more fun to follow the progression. The chemistry between them is undeniable, but both are guarded for various reasons. The interactions and banter between them when trying to navigate taking care of baby Matilda are hilarious. I laughed out loud more than once.

Overall, this is just a really well-written story with strong and relatable characters. Following the journey of Ford, Andi and baby Matilda was definitely an adventure! Kelly Jamieson always hits the perfect balance between humor, heat and heart! I absolutely loved Keeping the Score and I will be patiently waiting for her next story!

I received an ARC from Kelly Jamieson and Boldwood Books. My views are my own and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

Ford and Andi make excellent friends to lovers. You could really see them as friends before anything happened between them and I appreciated their slow burn that wasn't overly slow. I also really love the way that the hockey team is written - they are truly a team that cares about each other and supports each other.

I really thought I would like this book… however I didn’t. I couldn’t connect with the characters, no matter how hard I tried. The writing style was definitely different… and at stages I was cringing with some of the writing - it all seemed a bit childish. On number of occasions I did notice wording which didn’t felt right or in place with the story.

I did think that having Ford and Andi connecting because of Tilly was a bit strange since their big dislike for children was very much in every sentence - it would have been better if they connected on their own and not because of Tilly and playing house.

However, i did like that they both are career driven and how much this is a part of them. It was an okay-ish read, but sadly it wasn’t my cup of tea.