4.5 Stars!

This well-written forced-proximity sports romance is one of the sweetest stories and a perfect ending to The Appies Series!

Evie’s divorce was final a year ago and she’s been raising four-month-old Juno on her own. When an opportunity for an apprenticeship comes into the field she’s loved her whole life, she jumps at the chance to move to Harvest Hallow. Evie’s best friend Megan arranges with her brother Alec and several of his teammates to meet Evie and help her move in. They arrive only to discover the small home Evie is renting is completely flooded. Alec offers to let Evie stay with him while the home is being repaired.

Alec is the team captain of the Appies Hockey Team and while he’s loved his hockey career, he’s outgrown the parties and social scene that once had a lot of appeal. His body has also taken a beating, especially his knee, and he’s beginning to wonder if he’ll be to finish the season. Alec hasn’t even considered life beyond hockey until he is reacquainted with Evie and little Juno steals his heart!

There are so many things that I liked about this story! First, The Appies Hockey team is more than just a Hockey Team, it’s a group of guys that form an extremely loyal brotherhood! I loved that as Alec and Evie began to have feelings for each other they didn’t hide it with family and friends. They were open with Megan and all of the teammates. The open communication was refreshing! Last, what can be better than a big gorgeous Hockey player falling head over heels for your four-month-old daughter and singing her to sleep at night (without a shirt on!)!

“An odd sensation washes over me, something I’ve never really felt before. It isn’t just attraction, though I do feel attracted to Evie. It feels more protective. Like I have extra reason to check the door locks. Or go upstairs and make sure all the windows are securely fastened in her bedroom.”

If you’re looking for a fun story with enough heart that may bring a few tears, I highly recommend this one!

Romance Content: Just Kissing!

Thank you Jenny Proctor, Booked with the Emilys, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for my #gifted ARCs.

I have to say this is my favorite of the Appie's series so far. I might be prejudice because I love a divorce romance since Im divorced and trying to be hopeful for my future love life, but this book was easy to read and cute.

I plan to share this story on my instagram on Jan 28th, 2025 at www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads

This book. THIS BOOK!! Jenny Proctor has a way of infusing heart, joy, and just straight up love sorcery into her books that I simply adore. Just when I think I have a favorite book of hers, she writes a new one, and it's like choosing a favorite child. When Alec Met Evie is the sixth installment in the Appies hockey romance series, and these characters are just SO good. I highly recommend this book if you like hockey romance, single mom, best friend's brother, forced proximity, small town, Appies Dream Team text threads, Appies team heart-to-hearts, hockey players dressed as firefighters, cute babies, mature communication, emotionally healthy relationships, good guys becoming awesome dads, community, friends becoming family, and just all-around well-written romance stories.

Thank you to the author for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions (and fangirling) are my own.

Newly divorced Evie is starting over with her four-month-old daughter. She arrives in her new town only to find it flooded. Luckily, her best friend sent her older brother to check in on her. Alec takes Evie home to live with him temporarily, arguing that he'll be on the road for away games so often that having her there won't be any bother at all. But will having them there change everything he thought he wanted?

Read if you like:
-Single Mom
-Starting Over
-Age Gap
-Best Friend's Brother
-Team Captain...Team Dad?

I really Like the Appies series and When Alec met Evie was no exception. My favorite thing about this book was the joint theme of starting over. Both Alec and Evie had their own journeys, and they complemented the other personal storyline really well. The twins sort of stole the show and I do hope they get their own books. The romance between Alec and Evie was really sweet. I love it when the MMC falls for a single mom while also falling for the chance to be a dad.

4 stars! 🌶️!

This was sooo cute and fun to read! I LOVE the appies and I was so glad this book only furthered my love for these men!

I loved that though this was a “siblings best friend” romance, there was no turmoil over it and instead we had support from the beginning. I think that the “conflict” of the story/relationship lying solely with Alec and Evie made this even better.

I didn’t think I could love an Appie more than I loved Van, but Alec may now be my favorite! I loved his vulnerability and the depiction of his relationships with his teammates and their displays of vulnerability and affection for one another. I definitely teared up at several points throughout this book because of the bromances!

I also thought Evie was a great character- she was confident and strong as a mom but her insecurities as a woman were depicted so well/realistic. And I also loved how Alec complemented her in every way & supported her exactly how she needed.

I would definitely not say this book is spicy, but it was sweet and lighthearted and still incredibly fun and refreshing to read! I would definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Jenny Proctor for the eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review after reading.

I am honestly so sad that this series is over! It has been an incredible ride with these main male, hockey-playing characters! I love their dedication to each other, their team, their families, their fans! If there was ever a series to show the goodness of sports players, this is definitely it! They are gentleman through and through and treat their leading ladies with incredible love and respect. The humor these hockey players bring to each book had me laughing out loud. And this one is no exception. I loved that so many of the team and their loved ones were featured in this book. It was perfection for the readers and fans of this series!

Alec and Evie's story is so heartwarming. Don't get me wrong, there is still heartache and sorrow, and struggles, and all the stuff. But you're going to be a melted puddle while reading it. This sweet second-chance story will have you grinning from ear-to-ear and sighing. I promise. I was and I'm more than 100 percent sure that I am not the only one!

My heart ached for Evie and I just wanted to dive in and fix everything for her. It's not easy being a young mom to a newborn and doing that all by yourself. Add in moving across country by yourself, no family able to help, a disaster awaiting you at your rental and feeling utterly and completely helpless. But Alec and his teammates show up and save the day. And can I just say that Alec with that sweet little baby throughout the book...I know many readers are going to be swooning!!! Just sayin'!!!

Here are some of my favorite things from the book (only some because there is a lot to love about this one)!!!

Best Friend's Brother
Damsel in Distress
Appies
Juno
The Twins
Halloween
Apples *snickering-I couldn't help myself*
The Banter
Movies
He Falls
Age Gap
Cooking For Her *Kind of*
The Games
Family
The Appies Family
The Kisses


Content: PG-13ish. There are some mild innuendos throughout the book. Talk of divorce, single parent w/a baby, nursing. Some kisses. Some talk of alcohol use by secondary characters. Talk of trauma and death of parent by secondary characters. Some talk of physical injury due to the nature of hockey on the body, but not graphic. With all of that, it was written in a very sensitive matter and I would consider it to be a clean read. I would let my older teens read it.

I received a copy from the author through Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I have loved the Appies series, and When Alec Met Evie is an excellent (probable) closing book to round everything out. Best friend's brother is obviously a popular trope, and it's always great to see an author's distinct take on it, particularly when they're doing something a bit different. Proctor's writing here is warm, funny and engaging as ever, and I really enjoyed Alec and Evie's dynamic - in addition to the major themes of moving on, letting go, and finding purpose and fulfilment in your relationships with others. The latter is particularly true for Alec, who is grappling with a potentially career-threatening injury and trying to see a life for himself outside hockey.

Thanks to the depth of some of the emotional journeys the characters are on, all the beginnings and endings, this is a surprisingly profound and slightly bittersweet book, but with plenty of humour, banter, and all the sweetness we've come to love from this series. While it could potentially work as a standalone read, it really is best to experience it as a capstone to the previous books to get the most impact. I really hope this isn't the last we see from Proctor/St Clair and the Appies, but if it is, it's a wonderful swan song!

4.5 stars

Evie, a single, divorced mom, moves for her dream job only to find herself temporarily staying with her best friend’s older brother after her rental is unexpectedly flooded. Alec, a pro hockey player, is immediately captivated by her.

This book was utterly charming and heartwarming! I adored both Alec and Evie, and I can’t believe it took me this long to pick up this series by Jenny Proctor. While the age gap trope isn’t usually my favorite, it worked beautifully here thanks to Evie’s maturity and unique circumstances.

If you’re into slow-burn, age-gap, hockey romance, single-parent, and closed-door romance, this one is a must!

This was another great Appies Hockey story, quick and easy to read, it was fun and clean. There's some chemistry, but it wasn't the book with most chemistry - still it was awesome.
The team captain gets his happy ever after - even though it's heartbreaking, it was pretty cool the way it all went down.
I loved how Evie could read Alec's needs before he knew what he needed.
And I loved how Alec fell in love with Juno. I also loved how Alec said he new nothing about being a Dad and he did so well guiding the twins. And, of course, I loved how much of a romantic he was.
The Texas twins were such a fabulous addition to the story, I hope we will get their stories.

Jenny does it again! This is the sixth book in the Appies hockey series. I have been waiting for Alec's book for a long time. I wish this series could just go on forever but sadly it must come to an end sometime.
This book follows Alec, the captain of the Appies team, and Evie, his little sister's best friend. Evie is recently divorced and looking for a fresh start for her and her daughter. Alec is just trying to do his sister a favor when he asks Evie to stay at his place because her house is flooded. Oh and did I mention that Alec is nine years older than Evie?!
I actually loved Evie, and it is rare for me to like a female main character straight out of the gate. However, she is lovely. She is strong and self-assured yet still vulnerable as a single new mom. I think Jenny wrote the single mom trope very well. I also loved Juno, but what's not to love about a baby? Alec may be my favorite man in the whole series. It's just so hard to decide. Alec is just such a sweetheart. For someone in his 30s and single, Alec is such a romantic at heart. Also, I think the age gap was handled in a way that did not seem weird or uncomfortable.
Tropes I loved:
-little sister's best friend
-single mom
-hockey jersey
-forced proximity
Content: closed door

If you're looking for an utterly romantic story about a single mom and a protective hockey player best-friends-older-brother story to escape into, man, you can't do better than this one. If I had to guess, I'd say Ms. Jenny Proctor is doing very well for herself because she knows how to write a compelling, romantic-as-hell story that just hits the spot.

Evie is moving to the Appie's hometown to pursue her dream of becoming a luthier, and her best friend volunteers her older brother Alec to help her move. When the place turns out to be flooded, Alec offers his place for her to stay so she and her 4-month old daughter aren't stranded at an expensive hotel. It doesn't take long for them to reconnect, and now that they're older, they're seeing each other in entirely new ways.

This book is highly romantic. Highly romantic. From the beginning Alec takes over the role of protector for Evie and her brand new daughter while they get their feet under them. Evie always had a crush on Alec, but now she's got an ex-husband and her daughter to think of and romance is the last thing on her mind. What she needs is friendship, reliability, stability, and what do you know, those are Alec's specialties.

He's going through something of a crisis in his career as the minor-league hockey team the Appies captain. He's getting older and his body isn't performing at the level it once was. For a man who has lived, dreamed, and breathed nothing but hockey his whole life, he's not sure he's ready to let it go.

These two characters support and lift each other up in every way, and along the way, realize that their feelings aren't just friendly.

I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher and I'm telling you, you're not going to want to miss it!

This is the 6th in a series of interconnected standalone hockey romances; this is the second one I’ve read and I could not put it down! I loved both the MMC and FMC. This had all the love/romance without the spice. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 6}

🏒 Release Date: January 23, 2025 🏒
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This book was fantastic and had so many of my favorite tropes, including a delightful age gap with a little sister’s best friend. The added element of the single mom trope was the cherry on top of this amazing story! I have enjoyed all of the Appies books so far and this one was no exception. I dearly hope this isn’t the end of the Appies stories!

Alec and Evie (& Juno) were the BEST!! I love that he was a goner from the start, like the poor guy didn’t even have a chance to not fall head over heels for his little sister’s best friend 😏 And the way he was so good with Juno 🫠 Be still my beating heart! Alec brought the light back into Evie’s eyes and prioritized her the way she deserved. The way his protective nature reared its head around “his girls” was so precious!

“𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛.”

The eighteen-year-old twins were so great! Theo, with his boisterous persona, wasn’t great at staying out of trouble and often created issues. Carter, on the other hand, was the peacekeeper, always watching out for his brother. Alec, with his unending patience and experience in life and hockey, was the perfect mentor for these two. I love how much we got to see the twins in this book and I’m hoping to see more of them in the future 🤞🏻

The ending was so emotional 😢 I love how the Appies all band together when a teammate is in need; they are their own found family and that blessing is absolutely priceless! I will definitely miss these guys 😔

Top Moments:
🏒 The nine year age gap
🏒 Soothing Juno w/ Alec’s voice
🏒 Dancing in the kitchen & cinnamon rolls
🏒 Theo meeting Evie
🏒 Buying Appie merch for Evie & Juno
🏒 “Apples”
🏒 Alec, the baby whisperer
🏒 Bringing Evie lunch
🏒 Firefighters and a tiny Dalmatian
🏒 Watching Alec play hockey
🏒 Appies being a brotherhood
🏒 The porch swing
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I received a complimentary copy of this arc from NetGalley and Victory Editing. All opinions listed are purely my own.

Single mom Evie is excited to move to North Carolina to start her apprenticeship as an instrument restorer and repairer, but moving to a new place with a four-month old is a challenge, particularly when the only person she knows is her BFF's older brother. Who she had a crush on as a kid. Who is now a handsome professional hockey player. Who seems to be excellent with her daughter. How can she not fall in love?

I am so, so sad to see this series end. I've loved each of Emma and Jenny's books about the hockey players on the Appies, a hilariously viral minor league hockey team. I'm not really into books focused on babies, but I did enjoy this one. Alec and Evie seem meant-to-be, and I was happy to see each of them get their own happy endings. I also loved hearing about Evie's unique job and seeing her stick it to her awful ex-husband. Can't we please get more books? There are more players! I will read them ALL!

5 stars - 8/10

Lately there seems to be a single parent book on every corner, but I assure you thisI t's not like the others, each book in this series is unique, and each author adds their spark of magic to this beautiful small town. This is book six in the series and it couldn’t be more perfect.
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Evie has just packed up her entire life and drove across the country to move to Harvest Hollow, where the opportunity awaits her to become an apprentice luthier for one of the most talented in the country and thus be able to take care of her four-month-old daughter.
But when she arrives at her rental, it's a complete disaster and the only person she knows in this town is her best friend's older brother who she hasn't seen in years.
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Alec wasn't ready for this version of his little sister's best friend, nor for the feelings that make him step forward and offer his house temporarily until her landlord fix it. And with a new season about to start, his knee giving him problems and in addition to having to fulfill his duties as captain, he has no time to think about what makes him want to take a step forward and care for her, especially with a small four-month-old baby in the mix and when he always prefers to keep distance from little childs.
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This series is so good, each book has its own magic, following the previous ones this is a close door romance, with slow burn that is felt on each page and characters as beautiful as Evie who makes me root for her in every step and every feeling while she fights to be a good mother and create a home and family for her daughter. Alec is the reformed play boy who begins to realize and grow every moment since he reconnects with Evie and that precious baby, Juno that earns its space in the story by making the reader swoon at every interaction with Alec.
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The epilogue was beautiful but not enough, please let there be more books in this series and let us see glimpses of this beautiful family again.
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Thanks to Jenny Proctor and her team for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

The final book in these fun series. I loved them all. Sweet closed door romance. It gives small peeks into the characters from past books in the series. Can be read out of order but once you read one book in the series you will want them all.

When Evie moves to the same town as her childhood crush (also her best friend's brother and professional hockey player), her painful divorce is not so far behind her and being with Alec is the last thing on her mind. But when she gets to her rental house, it's not quite like the pictures, and it's flooded by a leaking water heater. Her landlord is out of reach for at least a week, and she is desperate. Her new neighbour, Ruth, helps her out until Alec shows up to help her move her things in her new house. And when he learns that she needs a place to stay with her baby, he offers her to move in with him while her house is being repaired. Alec promised his little sister that he considered Evie as a sister and would never make a move on her, but now that she's here, it's hard for him to remember why...
This age gap, best friend's brother, single parent, hockey romance is book 6 in the Appies series, and like the other books I've read in this series so far (I haven't read them all yet, and you don't have to, as they are interconnected standalones, but I will anyway because I love this series), this one drew me right in. I loved that both main characters had depth. I loved their communication. I loved the writing. The cast of characters was amazing (I loved the twins!). The only little thing that annoyed me is, and I know that is a romance and that most romances are very predictable, but this one was overly predictable. I could predict every single thing that the characters would say or do before they did it, and it did annoy me a bit. BUT! No third act break up 🤗
I received an advance reader copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so good! It is now officially my favorite of all the Appies' books even though I loved all of them. I loved this so much that the first time I read it, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. I was a little more measured my second time around but it was just as good.

This book was heartwarming and romantic with Proctor's usually snarky dialogue which had me snorting with laughter. It was just the right amount of sweet. It truly is a "feel-good" story. I also enjoyed the author's choice of having Devon sing "Dancing Through Life" from "Wicked". Perfect song for him! That made me chuckle.

No profanity and PG kissing.

When Alex met Evie is a delight! Book six of the Appies series follows team captain, Alex, as he is reunited with his little sister’s best friend, Evie, when she unexpectedly moves to town. As a recently divorced, new mom, Evie is out of her depth and gratefully relies on Alex to help her settle in as she tries to chases her dreams of music. Sparks fly when Evie’s house floods and she moves in with Alex and everything get more complicated as Alex bonds with Evie’s daughter, Juno. Throw in a selfish ex, funny guy group message, and some meddling from the little sister and this book has lots going for it.

Following along the Appies has been such a delight and I am so glad Alec finally gets his story. There are so many things to love in this one: sweet hockey romcom, best friend’s big brother, single mom, oh, and all the cameos from previous characters!! Evie has truly had a rough go and gets a new opportunity to make a fresh start. I love that Alec is so supportive of his sister and is willing to help her best friend. While he has known Evie forever and basically watched her grow up, he was not at all prepared for the woman she grown into. Not to mention super cool mom of the most precious baby girl. Alec has issues of his own, but the proximal nearness of Evie and Juno redirects his focus to what truly matters in life. I love how Alec grows into the mentor and father figure and embraces that love is no respecter of age. Their relationship blossoms quickly and with all their shared history, feels like the most natural step for both to take. Of course, there are always obstacles and issues, but having the support of friends and family makes all the difference. There were definitely some tears shed with this book, and I could not have been happier about it.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.