Can I give it 7/5 stars??

How can I say goodbye to the Appies? I don't know how to put into words how much joy this series brought me. And to have the captain's book as their final act? Brilliant! But I'll not lie, it had me feeling a little bittersweet.

If by any chance you don't know this series, it is written by the two main legends of closed door romances (and my personal favorite contemporary authors) - Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor. They wrote three books each, with the first two being also a part of the Sweater Weather series (you should definitely check it out!!). Each book follows one player of The Appies, an AHL team based in the fictional town of Harvest Hollow, NC. Located in the Appalachians, the city is the embodiment of your cozy autmn small town dreams - but with a famous pro hockey team, of course.

When Alec Met Evie follows the team captain, who after a few lesions needs to start thinking about his life outside of hockey. At the same time, Evie is moving to Harvest Hollow to start an internship after a divorce with her four month old daughter. She doesn't know anyone there, except for Alec, her best friend's older brother. After finding her rental flooded, she accepts the offer to live with him for a few weeks, until the repairs are done. That's the initial premise, but this book is SO MUCH DEEPER than that.

This is not a simple best friend's brother, age gap, single mom, hockey romance. This is a book about a man trying to understand who he is outside the sport he spent his whole life playing, where he is a leader figure and a guide to younger players. This is about a woman who is navigating motherhood alone, going after her dreams and being strong for both herself and her little girl. This is about a team that is the epitome of chosen family. This is about young players going through grief, about messy family dynamics and about finding your purpose in life.

And that's the beauty I have only found in closed door romances. They go so much deeper than the simple attraction and romcom sides of the story. Jenny and Emma manage to write that and balance it with funny moments with such a mastery I have yet to find authors who rival them.

This book has so many laugh out loud moments, like ALL of the Dream Team group chat threads and apples (iykyk), and of course, A TON of swoon worthy scenes. I kid you not, I think this is the most I highlighted a book in quite a long time. I just didn't want it to end.

Since this review is already gigantic, I'll just finish by saying this book - and the whole series - is a five star read. Maybe even more than that. Like a 7/5 stars. I just can't wait to re-read all over again (for a second time haha).

A huge thank you to the Netgalley and publishing team of access to this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book and all the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Single mom, best friend’s brother, hockey romcom. Alec and Evie had great chemistry, and Juno was adorable. The secondary characters were great as always. Favorite Appies book so far!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. When Alec Met Evie is out tomorrow!!! (January 23, 2025)

I’ve so enjoyed the Appies series, and it made me ecstatic that we were finally getting Alec’s book. And it didn’t disappoint. Evie was the perfect match for him, and I love their makeshift family with little Juno. It’s always fun getting back into that world as well with characters from previous books.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Evie is divorced, with a 4 month old baby her ex-husband has no interest in, traveling states away to apprentice in what she hopes will be a stable career for her. Unfortunately, when she arrives, her rental house is flooded and unliveable. Thankfully, her best friends older brother Alec steps in to offer her a place to stay in his massive home, and Evie tries to stifle the rise of the crush she used to harbor in her teens.

*****

This was such a genuine and well-done novel. I loved that it was a sisters' best friend trope, and instead of being over-protective and demanding as a lot of brothers' best friends tropes can be, she was amazing. Seeing the support, love, and encouragement on her end made the book low-stress and easy to binge.

Watching Alec's character go from indifferent and detached, to engaged and excited about Evie as well as June was so incredibly touching. As well as seeing Evie gain her confidence back and see her ex for who he truly was.

Typical to Jenny Proctor books, there was no spice or eluding to spice on the page, but it didn't take away from the relationship development nor the chemistry. Whether you enjoy on-page romance or not, this one is genuinely so good you won't miss it.

*****

Thank you, NetGalley, Jenny Proctor, and Victoria Editing Co-Op for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alec and Evie were just perfection. I was obssessed with these two from the start and rooting for their HEA! These two were absolutely meant to be together and I love the pacing of this story. You got to see these two reconnect and also got to see them all together since they were temporary roommates. Alec was the absolute sweetest and I loved all the little things he was constantly doing to make Evie and her daughter, Juno feel safe and happy. I am so sad to say goodbye to the Appie's, I have loved every book in this series but I can easily say this one is my favorite!