Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

Honestly, I almost DNF'd this book multiple times while reading it, and I'm not sure I made the right decision to finish it. I usually love hockey romances and accidental pregnancies can even be fun when done right!

Let's get down to it...

The story follows Ellis and Liam, college sweethearts who broke up as he was entering the NHL draft. Why did they break up? Because she... has fibromyalgia? As a chronic illness girl myself, I get that you can feel like an inconvenience, not worth it, etc., but I'd never let those fears impact someone else the way she did when she left Liam. And that isn't to say that everyone doesn't deal with their own stuff in their own way, but it does make her a bit selfish since she's making that decision for someone else. In the beginning, I excused it due to her being so young, but it continued when the book jumped 10 years into the future and it felt like she hadn't really grown at all in the time they spent apart. And look, I get that pregnancy hormones don't always allow you to be the most logical version of yourself, but Ellis was almost insufferable in her thoughts. Why is Liam not allowed to tell his team (his closest friends) that he's going to be a dad? But she can tell her friend? And then to be upset they found out and use that as a reason she shouldn't trust him? He's constantly giving her grace on her flaws but she doesn't really return the favor at all until the end. She sort of just treats him as a stereotype of a guy/athlete and is incredibly unfair in doing so.

Oddly enough, the thing that bothered me most might have been the use of British English in Liam's section, when he's from the US? It makes sense for Ellis but the different spellings, etc. continued into Liam's sections and it actually made it incredibly hard to follow (I'd see a British spelling and get confused thinking I must be in Ellis's section). It was also a 10 year time jump that ended with them being 30, which makes them 20 at the break up. I know it is common for hockey players to leave college early for the draft but I also got the impression she was done with college at that time (finishing school wasn't mentioned as a reason for her not joining him). I do believe British students usually finish between 20-21 (I could be wrong), but it is typically 22 in the US so that wouldn't entirely make sense here.

The story itself wasn't even bad and Ellis was definitely redeemable in the beginning, but I just didn't see the growth that you'd usually want to see in a character with a 10 year time jump. Liam was very sweet and I loved her son, though he was oddly mature for his age.

I had so much fun reading Melting For You! Tegan Phillips created such a sweet, swoony story that had me smiling the whole way through. The chemistry between the characters felt real, the banter was adorable, and it gave me all the cozy, feel-good vibes I love in a romance. Definitely a light, charming read I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Book Title: Melting for You
Author: Teagan Phillips
Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Surprise Pregnancy, Sports Romance, Chronic Illness Rep, Soft for Her, Found Family, He Fell First
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🤩The Vibe:
This book is Life As We Know It meets The Dealmeets a Pinterest board titled “hot hockey dads and emotional healing.” It’s warm and tender with just the right amount of angst, and somehow balances second chance heartbreak with hopeful forever in a way that feels both real and swoony. If you like your sports romances with heart, heat, and a man who never stopped loving her? This one’s for you. 🏒💙

👩‍❤️‍👨Main Characters:
Ellis Ainsley:
Strong, stubborn, and constantly in survival mode. Ellis is living with chronic illness, raising a son, and navigating a demanding career. She has real walls up—and for good reason. Watching her wrestle with vulnerability while learning to trust Liam again? Equal parts frustrating and beautiful. You root for her to believe she deserves the love being offered to her.
Liam Ruinsky:
NHL heartthrob, ultimate “fell first and stayed in love forever” king. Liam has been carrying a torch for Ellis since college and proves time and again that he’s not just back for the baby—he’s here for her. Loyal, tender, and so patient it hurts. Liam Ruinsky, you are HIM.

💕What We Loved:
- Surprise pregnancy that didn’t feel like a plot device—it grounded the story and gave it heart.
- Liam’s devotion to Ellis and her son Jack was so soft and genuine. Total book boyfriend material.
- Realistic chronic illness rep that added depth and authenticity to Ellis’ story.
- A full year-long timeline with no third-act breakup🙌—just the slow, imperfect process of choosing each other again and again.
- The side characters! Lyndsey, Aiden, and Edge deserve books of their own immediately.
- Found family vibes + team dynamics that made it feel like a whole little universe we want to return to.

🚫What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Ellis pushing Liam away so often got frustrating—especially when her actions and her words didn’t line up. Let the man love you, girl!
- All the potential for miscommunication made me wish for just one heart-to-heart a little sooner.

💬Favorite Quote:
“Being around Ellis Ainsley is like waiting for the sun to rise, like watching the first hings of light flow over the hills and brighten everything it touches. She bursts through the darkness of the night. That's why I call her Sunshine.”
— Cue tears and a blanket to cry into. 🥹

🤔Final Thoughts:
Melting for You is a debut that delivers. Teagan Phillips gives us a love story that feels lived-in—a romance built on history, healing, and the slow rebuilding of trust. It’s messy, hopeful, and filled with the kind of moments that remind you love isn’t always loud... sometimes, it’s just quietly showing up every day.
If you're in your hockey romance era and looking for a book with emotional depth, swoonworthy second chances, and a hero who’s ALL IN from page one? Don’t let this one skate past you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books and Tegan Phillips for an advanced copy of Melting For You.

Hockey romances are my jam but this one didn’t hit the spot unfortunately. If it wasn’t an ARC, I would have likely DNF’d but I wanted to share an honest review.

The FMC was a tough character to read because she doesn’t seem to grow up in the span of the novel, so there seems to be a lack of character development from her side. I understand that she has Fibromyalgia but she was just a bit boring and didn’t have much of a personality and she definitely leant on the other characters.

Additionally, the logistics don’t seem to line up. She did her degree in the US but doesn’t seem to have any visa or anything and it just seems off. But for arguments/fictions sake, let’s ignore that.

Her first kid, Jack, seems to have the mental maturity of a person in their mid twenties along with the vocabulary to go with it. Now I don’t spend much of my time around kids, but they don’t seem to act in the way presented in the book.

Tropes
- hockey romance
- single mom romance
- second chance

I will share links to my review on pub day

This book was great. I thought the characters had a-lot of depth to them and i enjoyed the storyline overall. I enjoyed the way it started with them in college. so they had that 10 year history but some parts of it felt a little too far fetched. I get that this is fiction but it seems unrealistic for a hockey player to pine after a woman for 10 years, but not contact her once and cyber stalk her and then suddenly is 100% all in. ML is a huge green flag and gives single moms hope. The relationship he has with his teammates is fantastic. I would have actually loved to see more of the hockey player side to the storyline and more about him and his friends. The FL storyline had some deep moments, talking about her past, her illness and her insecurities, but I couldn't resonate with her unfortunately there was a little too much self sabotage happening. I LOVED her son but I also felt like his dialog and actions were more advanced than his age. Overall it was a great book! Kudos to the author!

Accidental pregnancy is a bit of a hit and miss trope for me, but I’m glad I gave this one a go! I really enjoyed the disability / chronic illness rep in this story, especially when you can tell it’s coming from someone with personal experience.
I would’ve liked some some of the characters to be a little more fleshed out, and some parts of the story felt rushed, but overall it’s a nice, easy to read debut!

*Arc review*

…well i just read that book in one sitting (havent done that in awhile)! While the book not be everyones cup of tea I love me some single mom romances. Ellis and Liam were perfect and im not gonna lie I was a little sad when it was over. Im hoping that little spoiler at the end means we get anders book next! I will definitely be reading this series start to finish!

credit to netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this book was really cute and had one of my favorite tropes. the disability representation was great and felt very real.

the romance was extremely insta-love and pretty cheesy, but liam was obsessed with her so obviously i ate it all up.

an average romance with characters that felt real - 3 stars

The vibes are vibing with this one! I am one of the few who like the accidental pregnancy trope, and a second chance story always gets me! I also really appreciated the fibromyalgia element as I also live with chronic illness, and can relate to Ellis’s struggles. I felt their son also really added a lot of energy to the book and his character made sense! I really liked that his character had a purpose and wasn’t just a kid being added in to a book, he had more depth to him. I recommend picking this book up if you are interested in the tropes and also if you want to see more chronic illness representation!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. Sweet little hockey romance. I didn’t love the FMC as she was a bit whiny but I enjoyed the book and Liam was precious.

This was such a lovely book. Normally im not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope but this book approached it so well. I was kicking my feet and giggling moments it was such a fun and light hearted read. The disbility rep felt so real and relatable Tegan done such a good job of bringing awareness in a real life way.

I love a hockey romance and was really looking forward to this after reading the blurb so thought/wanted to love this but unfortunately I didn’t. everything was very quick and rushed, I felt like there were some moments we saw but then a lot was missing. Some of the communication between the couple felt very cringe and lackluster. another element I didn’t like that could just be a me thing because I don’t have a child nor am I just around them but Jack didn’t feel like a 5 year old whatsoever, the way he spoke and communicated felt more like a much older child. however I did appreciate the information on fibromyalgia, a condition I hadn’t heard about before. So if you’re looking for a no brain power, hockey romance, maybe I’d suggest this but overall I didn’t enjoy it.

-hockey romance
-second chance
-single mum
-accidental pregnancy

Ellis and Liam dated in college but broke up before he was drafted into the NHL. Ten years later, he’s playing for the team in the town where she lives, now a single mom and flower shop owner. They run into each other at a bar, agree to one night together, and she thinks that’s all. Until she sees those two pink lines on the pregnancy test. Over the next nine months, Liam shows Ellis what family really means.

I wanted to love this book, especially its premise. However, a few key issues consistently pulled me out of the story.
One thing that bothered me was the way the characters' inner thoughts and dialogue didn't always match their supposed location. There were instances where the language felt distinctly British, even from the American characters, which was jarring and took me out of the moment. It felt like the setting wasn't fully realized in the writing.
Another element that didn't quite work for me was the portrayal of the child character. The child's dialogue and behaviour felt much older than their stated age. Instead of appearing as believable five-year-olds, they often sounded more like pre-teens, which made their interactions feel slightly off.

As much as I wanted to love this book.
The FMC was unbearable. She had this great guy who loved her in college and pushed him away because she is sick.
Then she meets up with him and they have sex but then she pushes him away again.
Then she is pregnant and you guessed it, still pushes him away.
This novel spans 11 years and this woman does not grow up.

Then there is the matter of it just not being logical.
The age they graduated college? 20? Nope, not in the US.
A British person can just decide to stay in the US and open a small business? Nope, there are a great many rules and regulations for immigration to the US. Simply having a degree doesn’t cut it. As someone who is American but went to uni in Scotland, I lived those rules.

Suspending the logistical issue, I just couldn’t stand the way the FMC treated the MMC. I don’t know why he put up with the way she treated him as expendable. He spent damn near the whole book begging her to be with him and she wasn’t into it. I never felt the love.

Also, the 5 year old talks and acts like a 15 year old 😂
It was like the scene in ‘about a boy’ when Will (who has no children and never been around them) tells a group of mothers his three year old consoles him.

This was a lovely romance. I have been seeing a lot of hickey romances lately but this one stood out. It had a lot of heart Ellis and Liam are both great characters and a baby was thrown into the mix yet which really made it emotional and interesting to see how things played out. Very enjoyable and sweet sports themed romance.

ARC

This was fun! I struggled a bit at first because it felt like some of the exposition was a little forced (particularly some bits around the nicknames of all the hockey players) but once it got going it was easy reading and the characters were so lovely.

The disability storyline felt honest and real, and added an extra element to a genre that needs new aspects to keep it interesting. I also appreciated that they were older and it all felt more high stakes than high school hockey!

Wasn’t crazy about the spicier scenes, some of the dialogue felt a bit out of character? But they weren’t too frequent or too sparse, and were believable!

Overall a fun, quick read. I enjoyed it and would recommend to my hockey romance loving friends !!

Arc review

I really enjoyed this book.
It's a sweet story with a good storyline in my opinion.
The female character has fibromyalgia, which gave a lot of information about the chronic illness.
The male character is a ice hockey player.

- School sweethearts
- Ice hockey
- Single parent
- Pregnancy trope
- Bit of spice

Thank you so much for everyone involved for the arc!

The book is so well written and I love the bond between the main characters. Ellis is very mature but shuts herself out and Liam is just so cute and I love him so much. I don’t quite like the whole pregnancy trope but I still surprisingly enjoyed this book. If I had time I prolly would have read it in a single day because it’s so easy to read.

I loved everything second of it!!! I don’t think I have read a book with a man that had that many green flags. This is the kind of book that is very serious but has you kicking your feet and giggling. I can say that I ended up melting for this book. Their little family is everything you can hope and wish for yourself.