Off the Ice, Book 1
From the publisher:
He’s the NHL’s most guarded single dad.
She’s the one woman who can’t afford to fall for him.
Tori Wells didn’t fight her way into the NHL just to become another cautionary tale. As a team physical therapist, she lives by strict rules: heal the players, protect her career, and never—ever—cross the line with a hockey player.
Then she’s assigned to Zayden Bishop.
On the ice, he’s untouchable—a French-Canadian superstar with a reputation for being cold, private, and impossible to read. Off the ice, he’s a devoted single father running on discipline, stubbornness, and too little sleep. Until a serious shoulder injury threatens his season—and the stability he’s built for his six-year-old daughter.
Tori is in charge of his rehab. Full oversight. Daily sessions.
No room for mistakes.
No room for attraction.
Except Zayden isn’t what she expected.
The more time they spend together—early mornings, quiet road trips, late-night conversations—the harder it becomes to pretend this is just professional. Because Zayden doesn’t just need his shoulder fixed. He needs someone who sees the man behind the jersey.
And Tori is dangerously close to becoming that someone.
Crossing the line could cost her everything she’s worked for. And Zayden can’t risk bringing anyone into his daughter’s life unless he’s certain they’ll stay.
Perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn, Elle Kennedy, and Monica Murphy, this slow-burn, single dad, forced-proximity hockey romance brings the heat—and the heart—in all the best ways.
Book one in a brand-new hockey romance series. Each book can be read as a standalone.
Sometimes you just want a romance without ridiculous misunderstandings or a contrived third-act breakup. The Hockey Problem delivered exactly that — two people who face real obstacles and actually communicate like adults.
Tori Wells is a physical therapist for an NHL team — driven, disciplined, and determined not to repeat the career-damaging mistake of getting involved with a player. Then she’s assigned to Zayden Bishop’s rehab. On the ice, he’s a guarded French-Canadian superstar. Off it, he’s a devoted single father running on stubbornness and not enough sleep. Daily sessions and late-night conversations were never supposed to blur into something more. But they do — slowly, naturally, and beautifully.
What makes this book work is how grounded it feels. Tori knows exactly what she stands to lose, and that awareness shapes every hesitation, every boundary, every moment where things could tip. Zayden, meanwhile, filters every decision through one question: what’s best for his six-year-old daughter, Maisie. He’s not just protecting himself — he’s protecting her.
Maisie is where the story softens in the best possible way. She brings warmth and levity that perfectly balance the tension, and watching Tori slowly become part of their world feels effortless and earned. Nothing is rushed. Everything unfolds with quiet, steady intention.
The slow burn lives in shared routines, small moments, and unspoken shifts you feel long before either character acknowledges them. When Zayden shows up for Tori — no hesitation, no games — it lands with real emotional weight.
The book also handles Tori’s backstory with nuance: a past relationship with a star quarterback left her reputation bruised, and that history gives her boundaries real stakes. The only conflict comes from a player who can’t handle rejection and starts spreading rumors, but Zayden shuts it down swiftly — no manufactured angst, no dragged-out miscommunication.
The story wraps with a satisfying happily-ever-after, and I loved that Tori also grows professionally along the way. If you love a swoony single dad, a strong heroine, and a romance that earns every feeling, this one is absolutely worth your time.
4/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE HOCKEY PROBLEM by Kendall Ryan. Dream Press. (March 13, 2026). ISBN: 978-1952036224. 344p.
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