You ever pick up a romance thinking, “Cute, this should be fun,” and then suddenly you’re emotionally attached to a fictional hockey player who is built a red flag but acts like a weighted blanket?

Yup. That was me with False Play.

What It’s About

In this interracial sports romance, Kennedy works as a PR official for the Chicago Strikers hockey team. She’s competent, capable, and trying to do her job while surrounded by nonsense. Meanwhile, Henry is the team’s professional bad boy, which in romance terms means he’s hot, aggravating, one scandal away from being a PR nightmare, and secretly hiding a heart of gold.

After he gets in serious trouble during a press conference, Kennedy is tasked with getting his life together but there’s one problem:

She can’t STAND the man.

Then, thanks to a random turn of events, they end up as roommates.

Roommates.

Because clearly the universe wanted Kennedy to know no peace.

To make it even WORSE, there’s an awkward moment when they’re out and about, a picture is taken, and suddenly people think they’re faking a relationship to help his public image. Which leads to them deciding to fake date for real.

Naturally, I ate this up.

Kennedy Deserved Better Than Half the People Around Her

I really liked Kennedy. She felt grounded, capable, and easy to root for. But sweet Jesus, the way people in her life treated her had me ready to fight on her behalf.

Her ex-fiancé? Trash.

Her group of friends? Also trash. And messy.

Her misogynistic coworker? Premium trash.

What hit me hard was how much Kennedy kept quiet because she didn’t want to be a burden. It’s one thing to watch a character struggle, and another thing entirely to watch a character feel like she has to struggle silently so she doesn’t inconvenience anyone. (Which sometimes I do that to…so I wasn’t expecting to be called out reading a hockey romance.)

Henry: Certified Menace/Secret Marshmallow – New Book Boyfriend Unlocked

Henry. My dear sweet emotionally repressed disaster.

I loved this man.

He has the bad-boy hockey player image. He’s messy, frustrating, and has anger issues. But underneath all that? This man is so gone for Kennedy it’s actually adorable.

From the beginning of the book, Henry is down catastrophically bad for this Black woman and we love to see it.

He’s also so soft with her. He sees how much she carries and that she’s always trying not to take up too much space. Instead of demanding more for her, he gives.

He gives her room. Care. Gentleness. The chance to not always be the strong one.

That got me right in the feels.

Henry teaches her she doesn’t always have to be the one holding things together with duct tape, anxiety, and pure willpower.

Also, his relationship with his pet cat, Captain Sushi? Hilarious.

The Side Characters Passed the Vibe Check

In my opinion, a sports romance lives or dies by its supporting cast. If the team feels bland, the whole thing starts wobbling. Thankfully, the Chicago Strikers were a great time.

The entire hockey team had personality, and Hayes, Henry’s best friend, was especially fun. He brought exactly the kind of best friend energy I want in a book like this. Supportive, entertaining, and just messy enough to keep things lively.

And shoutout to Kennedy’s best friend, Valentina, because I appreciated her too. A heroine needs at least one person in her corner who doesn’t make you want to flip a dining table, and Valentina delivered.

Also, I can already see the setup for future books in this series. There are definitely threads here that feel like they’re laying the groundwork for more stories. I love interconnected romance universes. Give me side characters quietly auditioning to wreck my life in the next installment.

The Spice Report

The spicy scenes?

Not awkward or trying too hard.

Just hot, well-written, and doing what needed to be done.

The chemistry was already there emotionally, so when the spice showed up it actually felt earned, which is always what makes it hit harder. You can have all the hot scenes in the world, but if I don’t buy the emotional connection, I’m just sitting there disappointed. The spice worked because the yearning worked.

My Only Complaint…

As much as I enjoyed the book, I do wish we got more of Kennedy’s backstory and childhood. We learn a lot about Henry, which definitely deepens his characters and gives context to his behavior, but it made the imbalance stand out more.

Final Verdict:

False Play gave me a lot of what I want from a sports romance: fake dating chaos, forced proximity, excellent tension, a hero who is secretly down bad, a badass heroine, spicy scenes, and a fun supporting cast.

Would I recommend?
Absolutely.

Did I want to fight several characters?
Without hesitation.

Did I love watching Henry yearn like his life depended on it?
With my whole chest.

If you like…

• fake dating that gets messy fast
• forced proximity
• sports romances with fun team dynamics
• a bad-boy hero who’s actually a softie
• and yearning

False Play is the book for you!