Clare Johnson’s job is handling PR for the Dallas Stampede—not getting tangled up with one of the players. But when Mitchell Drake—charming forward, fan favorite, and very off-limits—asks her to pose as his girlfriend for one week in small-town Minnesota, she reluctantly agrees. What’s the worst that could happen?
Mitchell’s had six months to get over his very public broken engagement, and his family is done waiting. The last thing he needs is pitying smiles and whispered gossip. Clare is smart, sharp, and strong enough to hold her own with both fans and family—the perfect fake girlfriend.
But holiday lights and snowy nights have a way of blurring the line between pretend and real. Clare fits too easily into his world—bonding with his grandma, winning at pond hockey, and looking unfairly good in his flannel. The more time they spend together, the less fake it feels.
Full of small-town holiday magic, meddling relatives, and sizzling chemistry, Checking It Twice is a hockey romance about second chances and falling in love when you least expect it. Perfect for fans of fake dating, one-bed tension, forced proximity, and happily-ever-afters wrapped in Christmas lights.
Because sometimes the best gifts aren’t under the tree—they’re standing right in front of you.
I am not always the biggest fan of Christmas books as I find that they rely not on the story but on setting things in tree lots, tree lightings, and hot cocoa stands. Were all of the holiday elements present? Yes, they were. But, they were not the only things in the story. The development of the relationship between Clare and Mitchell developed in a way that worked and was enhanced by the holiday setting.
I like fake dating stories, even though we all know how it is going to resolve, and of course this one does as well, but I love the situations fake dating puts characters into positions they really shouldn't be in and I enjoy it. Add in that I really enjoy this author and this is one of my favorite holiday books.
I enjoyed and recommend this title.
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