Offside (Rules of the Game #1) by Avery Keelan

Offside is dramatic, entertaining, intense, and swoony hockey romance, that has fake dating, good girl meets bad boy, lots of tension, lots of feelings, and enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Other Books I read by the Same Author –

Enforcer

Synopsis

An addictive college hockey romance.

Heartbreaker. Troublemaker. And my ex’s biggest rival.

After my boyfriend of two years unceremoniously dumps me on my twenty-first birthday, my friends drag me to a trendy new nightclub to drown my sorrows. Several drinks later, I spot the perfect rebound standing next to the bar: Chase Carter, my ex’s worst enemy. A notorious antagonizer, Chase is cocky, smart-mouthed… and undeniably hot. Even better, he’s rumored to be impressively skilled at more than just hockey. What better way to move on?

Unfortunately, my plan falls apart after I have one cocktail too many and throw up all over Chase’s shoes. Following a night of him taking care of me while I’m at my worst, I’m certain he’ll never want to see me again. But the next time our schools face off, he finds me in the crowd after the game—and when we fake a kiss in front of my ex, the sparks that fly are real.

Before I know it, we’re having “study dates” and he’s taking me out for a do-over birthday to replace the bad memories with good ones. Beneath his brash exterior, he’s protective and sweet, not to mention generous in every sense of the word. The only problem? We’re caught in the midst of a bitter rivalry that extends far beyond the arena. My brother hates him, my friends don’t approve, and I’m being forced to choose between my loyalties and my heart.

He’s the last person I should fall for, but it might just be too late.

Offside is a college hockey romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the first book in the Rules of the Game series and can be read as a standalone.

Review

Offside was a bit longer than I expected, but honestly, I wasn’t mad about it. Just like the synopsis promises, this college hockey romance is addictive. It’s messy, dramatic, full of angst and tension, and the chemistry is doing overtime.

Offside follows Bailey, who gets dumped on her birthday. Brutal already, but it gets worse. She lives with two roommates who also happen to be dating her ex’s teammates, so avoiding him is basically impossible. Her brother is on the same hockey team, her ex parades his new girlfriend everywhere, and her so-called friends act like her heartbreak is inconvenient for them. No support, just vibes and not the good kind. It’s awkward, isolating, and honestly frustrating to watch.

Enter Chase, the last person you’d expect to be her safe space. He’s her ex’s rival from another college, known for being an instigator on the ice. They meet at a bar, Bailey is drunk, and she ends up crashing at his place. Nothing happens, but that night shifts something. Chase sees more than what people say about her, and more importantly, he sees how badly she’s being treated, and so to help her out, they strike a deal to fake date.

What starts as a simple arrangement turns into fake dates, study sessions, and actually enjoying each other’s company. And of course, feelings creep in. Watching them go from pretending to something very real was one of the best parts. There’s always that question hanging in the air. What happens when it stops being fake?

The writing is immersive and easy to get lost in. There’s a lot of sass, sharp banter, and that constant push and pull between them. The second half surprised me in a good way. It dives into heavier issues around hockey culture, including toxic friendships, messy relationships, lack of boundaries, betrayal, blackmail, and the pressure hockey players deal with. It added more depth than I expected.

Bailey was such a solid character. She’s a straight A mass media student who writes for the college sports newspaper, so she’s not clueless about the world she’s in. Her reactions to the breakup, her friends, and her ex all felt real. She’s confident on the surface but carries that once-burned-always-cautious mindset. It takes her time to trust Chase.

She struggles with confrontation, thanks to a past relationship that completely warped her idea of what love should look like. Instead of communicating, she tends to spiral and blame herself. It’s frustrating at times, but also very human. What I liked most was seeing her slowly unlearn those patterns and rebuild her sense of trust. Her character arc really delivers, especially when things hit the fan later in the story. The way she finally stands up for herself, puts her ex in his place, and fights for what she deserves was satisfying to read.

Chase was just… solid. He understands Bailey in a way no one else does and, more importantly, he’s patient. He doesn’t rush her, doesn’t push her past her limits, but he’s also clear about what he wants. Confident, stubborn, a little persuasive, and exactly the kind of person Bailey needs. He balances her overthinking by making sure things are actually talked through instead of left to assumptions.

That said, he’s not perfect. He has a reckless past, and it catches up to him right when things are going well. His fear, anxiety, and helplessness in those moments felt very real. Thankfully, he doesn’t spiral into stupidity. He has a solid support system and makes the right choices when it matters. It does shake his relationship with Bailey, but they work through it, and in a way, it strengthens what they have.

Everything post-climax was genuinely enjoyable, I just wish there was a little more about the consequences other characters faced. The bonus chapters at the end were such a treat. They added that extra layer of closure and made the happily ever after feel complete.

Overall, Offside is dramatic, entertaining, and exactly the kind of hockey romance you pick up when you want something intense and swoony. This had fake dating, good girl meets bad boy, lots of tension, lots of feelings, and enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

In case you don’t want to read full review, check out my reel-

View this post on Instagram

Have you read this or any  book by the same author?
What’s your fav fake dating Romance?

Just in case you missed,,,

• Offside (Rules of the Game #1) by Avery Keelan
• Eight Million Ways to Happiness : Find your own way to inner peace with the wisdom of Japan by Hiroko Yoda
• Too Good To Be True by Prajakta Koli

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | YouTube

---