Eli's dreams of making a home in Harvest Hollow are shattered when he learns that, due to an error, his visa will expire in 30 days and he'll have to return to Canada - probably destroying his career, and taking his mother away from the treatments that have been so helpful. The one possible loophole seems so far-fetched as to be not worth thinking about. After all, he doesn't even date, so there's no way he could find a bride in under a month - could he? Between big bills to care for her grandmother and future bigger bills when she finally gets into vet school, Bailey's struggling. A fake marriage to her favourite visitor to the animal shelter she works at could solve both their problems - right? Only, as they spend more time together, she begins to realise that if he doesn't come to care, there'll be an awful lot of unrequited love in this fake marriage. Can their fake marriage turn into something real, or is it the worst idea Eli's ever had?

Plenty of good clean fun, with plenty of emotion along the way. In many ways, it's just your typical fake relationship story, yet it feels fresh and new. They're both so delightfully uncertain and yet attracted that I loved watching them slowly work their way to a happily ever after (not to mention they're just nice people). And the various secondary characters add to it too: Dr Evil makes a great villain, Eli's mum has some hilarious quirkiness, not to mention Doris is quite the character. And the other (unmatched) Appies make me eager to see them get their own stories. One minor quibble: I felt like the whole visa scenario was never really tidied up. Once they get married, it's all ignored, not a hint of paperwork, or even time for it to have happened - which seems unrealistic in my limited experience of visas! There's always more paperwork - and a last-minute marriage seems like the sort of thing that might get scrutinised a little more. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read and I'm eager to read more about the Appies - despite never having watched a game of hockey in my life! Recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

I love Emma St. Clair and this is my new favorite. I really enjoyed the marriage of convenience story with a hockey setting. It was a sweet and satisfying read. Loved it!

A groom of one’s own is not my first Emma S. Clair book but it is my new favourite! I love marriage convienience books especially with how sweet this one was. I also loved that it was closed door, focusing all the attention on their relationship and family

I LOVE the Appies! Emma St. Clair never disappoints!

A Groom of One’s Own is a dual POV marriage of convenience trope. Eli is a professional hockey player dealing with visa issues. Bailey is a shy animal lover. Eli is not just looking for a legal partner; he's hoping to win over his bride, for real.

As strangers to lovers basically overnight, this story is full of humor, characters with depth, fun secondary characters, and tender moments with a little romance; the flirty banter between the two as the get to know each other is excellent. Eli and Bailey are are just perfectly awkward together!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Eli and Bailey forever.

This marriage of convenience story was so cute and so sweet. I absolutely loved that the book was written with both Eli and Bailey’s perspectives as a dual POV. The set up, the marriage, and the “I’m his wife” moment to name a few?! So good. Also, as someone who has a couple of chronic illnesses, I also really appreciated the chronic illness rep in Eli’s mom.

Eli got the perfect HEA. It was so fun to get to know some of the other Appies players better and to catch up a little bit with Logan and Felix, too! Emma St. Clair always writes the most swoony stories and this is no exception. I can’t wait for more of the Appies!

Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great read. I loved the plot. I think what I loved most was the references. I love doctor who do fact it was mentioned, I was Instantly sold. This was great the obliviousness of the love the characters had for each other. Amazing work really. I can't wait to read more.

Another wonderful read by Emma St. Clair! I loved the whole team and can’t wait to read the next one!!

Read if you enjoy….
-protective cinnamon roll
-“I AM HIS WIFE” (yeah that was as good as a “my wife” moment)
-sports romance
-closed door with great kisses

This is a Hallmark movie in a book! So sweet, so cute! A shy FMC, a hockey playing golden retriever MMC, a cast of quirky side characters mixed with romance, fun banter and some pining makes for a swoon worthy story!

A Groom of One's Own is my first book by Emma St. Clair, but most definitely not my last (I went and found the other books in this series immediately after reading and have them on my Kindle waiting to be read this week!)

Eli is a Canadian hockey player in the AHL playing for the Appies and loves life, his hockey team, fellow players and everything is going well - until he realizes his Visa is expiring and basically the only way he won't have to go back to Canada to get a new Visa is if he is married to an American. This sounds ridiculous to him until he goes to the animal shelter to have his regular visit with a dog and Bailey, the shelter worker who finds him the perfect dog every time, even though he can't have one due to him being gone so much playing hockey.

He runs into Bailey at a bar while out with his fellow Appies - Bailey is celebrating her birthday with friends and it hits Eli that Bailey is the solution to his problem. He continues celebrating Bailey's birthday "Canadian style" with silly gowns and bowling - hilariously funny - and he makes the proposition of the marriage to her and she agrees. He's going to pay for her Vet school tuition, help pay for her Grandma's assisted living situation, and they are going to basically help each other out.

They immediately feel more than friendship for each other, but are afraid to tell the other how everything has changed for them.

This is a sweet romance with little spiciness, but that's perfectly fine, the plot doesn't need it and the relationship grows at a slow pace and don't need the extra spice we normally see.

As I said at the beginning, this is my first Emma St. Clair, but not my last. I loved this book.

🐶I wish I knew what Emma was putting in her books to make them so utterly amazing!!!
After being introduced to the Appies back in the fall, I knew I was a goner! 😅

🏒Eli is the sunshine of the team. He’s the raging extrovert, always down for anything, the one who takes center stage in all the Tik Tok videos 😉. He’s the literal life of the party. Until visa issues and threats of deportation steal his brightness!

🐶Enter the only logical solution….a marriage of convenience (I’m also just now realizing I’ve loved this trip for so long! The Proposal is one of my favorite movies!🤯)

🏔️Bailey comes across shy and cautious at first. But the more time she spends with Eli watching him love dogs, the more she opens up and gets comfortable. There seems to be a direct correlation to her comfort level with Eli and her comfort level in her own skin!

🏒I absolutely loved how their relationship developed and fake engagement turned to real wedding turned to TRUE LOVE!

🐶I also loved how there wasn’t an overuse of “this is fake, this is fake”. I feel like they were both so aware of their feelings for each other and didn’t try to ignore it for themselves, even if they tried to tone it down for the other.

🏔️I absolutely adored all of the side characters! Eli’s mom and sister. The book club. The friends. And of course the hockey guys!

Alright, let's talk about "A Groom of One's Own" by Emma St. Clair. This one's a feel-good romance with a twist – hockey, anyone? Eli Hopkins, our ray-of-sunshine hockey player, is facing a visa nightmare. Cue the marriage of convenience plot. But here's the kicker: he's not just looking for a legal partner; he's hoping to win over his chosen bride, Bailey, for real. The result? A quick and easy read that hits you right in the feels.

Eli is a total sweetheart. His energy and protectiveness are off the charts, and the camaraderie with his hockey teammates adds that extra layer of found family goodness. The banter between the Appies is gold. Now, Bailey – kindhearted and deserving of all the good things. The dual POV gives us a peek into their minds, making the romance all the more engaging.

So, if you're into closed-door romance, hockey vibes, and a generous serving of humor, "A Groom of One's Own" is your go-to. It's like a warm hug in book form. 4.5 stars for the good vibes and a romance that leaves you smiling.

Thank you to the author for providing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

I am always a sucker for a marriage of convenience, and this one was sweet and funny, as all Emma St. Claire books are. I enjoyed these two cinnamon rolls defrauding the government but then actually falling fast for each other. Helps when you start with a crush.
And can I say I am On Board for Van’s book.

Heat level: 1. Closed door

The first book of the Appies Series . Eli Is Canadian and his visa is almost expiring so he has to go back to Canada and it might take them a year to work things so he can come and play again . So he asks the pretty woman who works at the animal shelter he volunteers to help me by asking her to be his wife . Bailey is shy but she when Eli asks her for help accepts not only for the money that he will give her but because she really like him . With only few weeks to knew each other and get married everything is overwhelming . But what happens when both of them develop feeling but they are scared to tell the other ? I loved all the hockey players and hope for more of them to have their happily ever after . And also want to read Annie's story .
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Hockey romance, marriage of convenience, sunshine/sunshine. Such a sweet romcom to continue the Appies series. Eli and Bailey are just so great together and all the secondary characters are amazing as well. Fantastic closed door romance!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. A Groom of One’s Own is out now!

Eli Hopkins is a sweet, romantic, hockey player who is about to be deported. He didn’t file is visa correctly so now it’s either get deported or get married. And he has a woman in mind, the sweet quiet girl from the dog shelter, Bailey.

This was my first “hockey romance” but I loved Eli. He’s like the perfect dream man. This is the first book in the series and I plan to read them all. I loved Eli, Bailey, Eli’s family and his hockey team. Such a cute romcom.

Emma St. Claire just knows how to make a perfect feel good romance!

This book was so warm, sweet, cozy and full of fuzzy feelings that you get after reading a good romance book. I really love the direction that the author took with this hockey romance book. It was refreshing and different from other hockey books. I actually loved the closed door aspect because Emma has such a witty way of creating great characters that keeps her readers engaged with the plot and their chemistry that the open door is really not needed. I think that this author has truly nailed how to create great character chemistry with that. Eli was the perfect hockey boyfriend. I love the golden retriever type of fictional man. That man was such a softie and romantic that had me swooning and smiling at the pages as I read. I loved how sweet and caring and protective he is of Bailey. Bailey was the sweetest main character. I loved her how she's a soft and shy fmc and how soft and cute they are together. Eli and Bailey were that couple that are just the sweetest sunshine duo that you can't help but grin over pages for and the added marriage of convenience was perfect.

I loved the teammates in the story, their banter and family trope, I think this series is a must read if you like soft heroes that are absolute romantics and hockey. its such a perfect book to read when you want to feel happy and left with a great feeling after.

A Groom of One's Own was the cutest! Eli & Bailey are adorable together. Their marriage of convenience story wasn't typical but perfect none the less. Not only were the main characters well done, but the support ones were the best! The Appies team feels like coming home & I can't wait to read more.

The pace was of this book was very slow. I had hard time believing in the characters relationships. It did not really seem like a love story.

A Groom of One's Own" by Emma S. Clair is a delightful closed-door marriage of convenience hockey romcom that captures the essence of heartwarming romance without the need for explicit spice.
Eli Hopkins, a charismatic hockey player with the Appies, faces a race against time to secure his future in the face of bureaucratic mishaps.
The author weaves a charming tale filled with witty dialogue, endearing moments, and a cast of captivating side characters, notably Eli's mother and her book club friends. The narrative flawlessly unfolds, showcasing a perfect blend of humor and heartfelt connection. What sets this romcom apart is the absence of miscommunication, allowing the genuine chemistry between Eli and his wife to shine.
I found "A Groom of One's Own" to be a feel-good masterpiece, delivering the perfect dose of sweetness and romance for those who prefer a lighter touch in their sports-themed love stories.

Very grateful to the author for this copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

A Groom of One's Own is a sweet and tender feel-good novel set in the same small town of Harvest Hollow as the Sweater Weather series - which I loved! Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for the ARC!

The Appies are the town's ice hockey team - and the chosen family feeling among the players is superb! - but now one of the players finds out his career is in jeopardy: due to visa issues Eli Hopkins might be deported back to Canada. Enter Bailey, the shy and kindhearted woman working at the animal shelter Eli frequently visits. If the two marry Eli gets to stay with the Appies and Bailey might afford to go to vet school sooner rather than later. But can these two personalities match, even if their agreement is on paper only, when one of them is an introvert and the other one an overwhelmingly outgoing ray of sunshine? And what about all the feelings bubbling under the surface...? The reader of this novel sure is in for a treat!