I found Jean Oram while Googling for Alberta romance authors. There she was, and with a list of books that impressed me. She has several series for readers to jump into. One of my favourite tropes is the accidently married trope, where couples have to figure out how to make things work, so the first book I read was Accidentally Married in the Veils and Vows series. But then I noticed that she had a hockey romance series! So, I downloaded The Cupcake Cottage, book one in the Hockey Sweethearts series and got reading.
Maverick Blades is holding out on dating until he has his NHL career (and wrongfully tarnished reputation) under control. That doesn’t stop Daisy-Mae Rae from crushing hard on her childhood friend, even if his house is a “no women” zone. When Daisy-Mae gets a job working for Maverick’s team, the coach thinks these two Texas friends can save the team’s reputation by fake dating. And both Maverick and Daisy-Mae secretly hope that the fake part doesn’t last long.
The Cupcake Cottage is a friends to lovers, fake dating hockey romance that is delightfully sweet.
Jean Oram’s book is a sweet, closed-door romance. The tension between the two is on the page, but their intimate relationship is left to the readers’ imaginations (behind closed doors). The friends to lovers trope is a great fit for this slow burn romance because both characters know each other so well that the reader can’t help but cheer when they finally reveal that they truly love each other as more than friends. I also enjoyed the minor characters. Maverick’s mom is a woman I’d like to meet in real life, and Daisy-Mae’s friend Violet (the team mascot) is a lot of fun (and the main character in the next book in the series).
As an editor, I thought that Oram did a great job of creating a backstory for her characters. Maverick and Daisy-Mae were childhood friends, and the ease of their friendship makes it easy for them to fall in love romantically, and more importantly the reader believes it. From Daisy-Mae’s strained relationship with her mom, her pageant-winning teen years, and her ability to start small businesses to stay afloat, Oram helps the reader get a better understanding of who Daisy-Mae is and why she has doubts about Maverick’s sincerity. The balance between reaching into the past to develop the characters, and showing who they are in the present setting of the story is done well. The setting (their growing up years in Texas) is a big part of each character, and Oram doesn’t overwhelm the reader with historical details, but infuses the past into the present in such a thoughtful way.
One recommendation I would have as an editor would be to delve a little more into the world of hockey. A bit more research about the game would have added more realism, especially for fans of the game. I do love hockey, and I think that there were some opportunities in the book to add in more details about the game and the world of hockey for those hockey fans out there. That being said, the focus was more on their relationship and their past, and less so on their involvement in the game. This suggestion is just an editor’s preference at this point.
Here are some of my favourite lines from The Cupcake Cottage:
- Daisy-Mae’s crush was taking on a life of its own as she continued to hang out with Maverick.
- He’d seen her earlier in the day and she’d been hands-down sexy in her new work wardrobe, giving him long, heated glances that made him want to hit the elevator’s Stop button and mess up her lipstick.
- It felt like he was not only inviting her into his life but also to become a part of his family.
- She blushed, and he knew that while he might have a crush on Daisy-Mae Rae, she had a crush right back.
If you are looking for a sweet hockey romance that’s light on the hockey and heavy on the romance, this is the book for you. Enjoy!
