Review by Booklist Review
Enemies learn to see each other in a new light in this sporty romance debut. Harper has never liked the attention the athletics program receives in her town. An aspiring entrepreneur, Harper is focused on her jewelry business and an application for a grant to help her with college, and she doesn't have time for her diner coworker, Luke Dawson, and his beloved hockey team. Dawson is poised to be a hockey star, but he's feeling the pressure to play well enough to attract scouts and keep up his grades. When a financial scandal with their coach shakes up the hockey team, and Harper is blamed for the firing, the tension between Harper and Dawson rises. While the depth of their relationship is more told than actually experienced, Harper and Dawson both learn to change their assumptions and misunderstandings, akin to an Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy relationship. This sweet romance, told in the alternating POVs of Dawson and Harper, is perfect for sporty readers longing for a teen-centric hockey drama.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The sports-obsessed residents of Hamilton Lakes, Mich., expect great things from high school junior and hockey superstar Luke Dawson. But when the coach of the high school team is fired for embezzlement, it throws the athletes (and their upcoming season) into turmoil. Meanwhile, rumors start spreading that Luke's classmate Harper Braedon--a well-known critic of the funding imbalance between athletics and other school activities--is responsible for the coach's dismissal, an accusation that tanks her social standing and dashes her hopes of using her academic connections to expand her online jewelry-making business. Though Luke and Harper are constantly feuding at school and at the diner where they both work, their mutual dislike soon softens into understanding and, to their shock, attraction. As the year progresses, the hockey team founders under their new coach's management style and Harper contends with mounting social vitriol. Charlotte's debut hits all the right notes for an enemies-to-lovers romance as Luke and Harper navigate personal and romantic complications while pursuing their respective goals. Few surprises ensure an always-buoyant atmosphere and the white-cued protagonists' sizzling chemistry, as well as exciting and vividly described hockey sequences, further enrich this fun, fast-paced, and flirty read. Ages 14--up. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Hockey bros rule the roost in Hamilton Lakes, and Harper is over it. It doesn't help that the star player for the Hawks, Luke Dawson, snubbed her best friend their freshman year and has been intolerable since. Known for being outspoken against the overfunded hockey team, Harper becomes a social pariah when the head coach is canned for misappropriating funds, and she is blamed for it. Despite this, Luke and Harper find themselves admitting a long-standing mutual crush--and learning a lesson about what life is like on the other side of the tracks. Hockey doesn't just provide the framework for initial conflict but is also heavily featured in the text. The relationship is more focused on social implications than physicality, so there aren't any on-the-page sex scenes. Those social implications also involve the spotlighting of key, lovable side characters who are well-positioned to take center stage in any sequel to this fun, fast read for romance lovers. VERDICT A teen-friendly entry into the current hockey romance trend.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two high school rivals learn there's more to each other than meets the eye. With her college dreams hinging on the success of her jewelry business, Harper is desperate to be awarded a Young Entrepreneurs Grant and frustrated that everyone at her school privileges the athletes. Hockey team member Dawson hopes to be recruited by college scouts; he's also battling pressure from his dad, a former hockey star. Though Harper and Dawson find each other annoying, they often cross paths since Harper works at Dawson's family's diner. When Dawson's coach is fired for misuse of funds, one of the hockey players starts a rumor that Harper is involved. But over time, the dynamic between Dawson and Harper begins to change as they reevaluate themselves and each other. Despite the slow start, this charming enemies-to-lovers narrative succeeds thanks to the well-paced progression of the leads' relationship. Their alternating first-person points of view allow the complexities of their inner feelings to show through. The characters' interactions feel intentional, and the emphasis on connection and friendship extends beyond romance, for example, through the supportive, open communication between Dawson and his friends Alex and Ryan. Charlotte's debut successfully combines sports, friendship, and the emotional highs and lows of high school love. Main characters are cued white. A heartfelt romance that shows how letting go of the past can bring you an even brighter future.(Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
