Faking the Face-Off Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
Faking the Face-Off by Anne Kemp tells the story of Anna Denault, the coach’s assistant for the River City Renegades. When the team’s publicist decides star defenseman Ollie Decker needs a more relatable image, Anna volunteers to be his fake girlfriend. It’s a scheme at first, a way to help a friend and maybe earn a paycheck. But as staged dates turn into real moments, both Anna and Ollie start to feel more than just friendship. It’s a light, closed-door hockey rom-com with fake-dating, friends-to-lovers, and found-family vibes, and it works beautifully as a standalone in the River City Renegades series.
Why I Love This Book
I love how Anna steps up to help Ollie without much fanfare. I love that what starts as pretend grows into something tender and real. I love how their friendship becomes more authentic with each moment they share. I love when Anna’s care and Ollie’s guarded charm slide into something soft and meaningful. I love the chemistry that builds slowly—real, not forced—even though nothing explicit happens on the page. I love the blend of hockey details, team warmth, and those small personal moments that make it feel genuine. I love how it balances fun with emotional growth.
Who Will Like This Book
If you like clean fake-dating romances, friends-to-lovers arcs, sports settings (especially hockey), or charming, closed-door rom-coms, this is for you. It’s simple, sweet, and heartfelt.
⚠️ Trigger warning: This book deals with mild career and image pressure, but everything stays light and handled with care. I think it's helpful to know that emotional strain is part of the setup.
Tagged As
fake dating, friends to lovers, sports romance, hockey romance, found family, small town, clean romance, sweet romance, standalone, indie romance, closed-door romance, HEA
Steam Level
It stays sweet and light. No explicit scenes—just warmth, gentle connection, and soft kisses.
