Short Side

✓ Fake dating
✓ Golden retriever hero
✓ She falls first
✓ Dual POV, slow burn to steamy

Short Side by H.A. Laine is the third book in the Ice and Instinct series, a sports romance based around the fake dating trope we all know and love. In this novel, we get to meet the guarded photographer Wren Gallagher and the Portland Wolves undrafted rookie Carter Knox as they ignite a PR scandal that requires them to fake date. Along the way, we get to follow along as their staged relationship grows more convincing, blurring the lines between reality and performance. Overall, Short Side was a perfect balance of fake kisses and protective hockey hero energy that earned its spot on my To Be Read Again shelf!