Playing for Keeps

Synopsis
Elise is the sister of an NHL player. She's also a virgin. At a party he hosts, she falls into bed with his teammate, Justin. The next morning they both think the other has too drunk to remember.

Tropes & Themes

• Sports romance (ice hockey)
•  Sibling's friend
• Secret relationship

My Thoughts

• Not much depth to the characters
• A big deal is made of Elise's virginity. Personally, I'm on the virginity-is-a-social-construct bandwagon, but seeing as Justin knew it was a big deal to Elise, it feels really sketchy that when he thinks she doesn't remember the sex he (as far as he knows) keeps it from her.
• I don't like the way the puck bunnies are referred to or thought of by the characters - very I'm-not-like-other girls and shaming vibes.
• Elise and Justin have supposedly known each other since childhood, but I didn't get a friends-t0-lovers vibe from them. In fact, I didn't sense much chemistry at all.
• Very heavy-handed hinting at which characters will be paired up in future stories, felt like there was nearly as much development of that relationship as the one the book is ostensibly about.