Strange Love

An 80s Fake Dating Hockey Romance (Merrimack Mavericks Hockey, Book 1)

De: Steffanie Blais

Narrado por: Samantha Summers, JD Tomlinson

For Ivy Owens, the 1980s have been a tumultuous decade. So when a popular hockey player suggests that they pretend to date in order to boost her social status, it's just another strange turn of events for her.

After being kidnapped and forced to live in a cult, all Ivy wants is to fit in and escape her troubled past. But unfortunately for her, that's not how high school works.

Enter Corey Delacour the handsome, mysterious hockey player who has everyone talking. Coreys confidence and edgy persona captivate Ivy, and for reasons beyond her comprehension, he finds her just as fascinating.

So when he offers her a chance to fake a relationship with him to prove that popularity isn't everything, she can't resist.

As Corey guides her through the nuances of her newfound high school popularity, the unexpected happens: something far from fake. However, with his dreams of becoming a famous hockey player can their connection withstand their inevitable reality?

Or will she be left alone once again with a new problem in her hands a broken heart that belongs to him?

©2024 Steffanie Blais (P)2024 Steffanie Blais

The voices are amazing

I read this book a couple months ago and fell in love with the characters! But listening to it omg!!! Samantha summers did an amazing job capturing ivys voice for all of her ages through the book! It was sooo good

Right person. Right time. Finally.

This is definitely not your regular hockey romance, and that's one of the things I liked about this story the most.

Ivy has been homeschooled for the last couple of years, due to some things that happened to her while she was little girl but she decided to attend school during her senior year to start getting back into the habit of socializing. Unfortunately, she's having a hard time fitting in. That is until Corey, the star hockey player of the school, strikes a deal with Ivy to fake date her in order to help her out.

Even though the pace felt a little slow, I thought the story was super intriguing and I loved all the 80/90's nostalgia and the multiple timelines. The author also had me in a chokehold a couple of times, to the point that for a minute there I was afraid we wouldn't be getting a hea.

The narrators did an amazing job with the dual narration, making it easy to follow the story and the characters. I'm looking forward to reading and or listening to the rest of the books in this series.

Quote: “Ivy, you captured my heart the day you nervously nibbled on a Pop Tart in front of school, trying to be invisible. But to me, you were never invisible. You shined like the brightest star in the sky.”

Amazing

I am not a sports romance person and this book was so amazing and complex. Nostalgia and great storytelling! The narrators did a great job in telling the story but didn’t embody the characters as I had imagined them.

Such an addictive listen

𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️ 1/6
🎧𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥
🎙️𝘑𝘋 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯 & 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘢 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴

This is the first book in the 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺, but can be read as a standalone. The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life.I absolutely devoured this! I finished it in less than 24 hours. I really enjoyed that it was told in dual timelines, as it gave a lot of background information and context to the characters behaviors.

I really felt for Ivy. I couldn’t imagine surviving a cult the way she did, and then trying to go back to high school after all of that. Corey Delacour 😍 he’s such a cinnamon roll and I LOVE it. Corey is such a kind person, trying to help Ivy fit in by fake dating her. I loved watching as they both started realizing there was nothing fake about their relationship. Highly recommend.

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
🏒 80s romance
🏒High school seniors
🏒Cult survivor fmc
🏒Hockey Star mmc
🏒Fake dating
🏒Friends to lovers
🏒Opposites attract
🏒Past trauma
🏒Steamy
🏒HEA

Great book with so much nostalgia!

I liked that this was set in the 80s and 90s. Lots of nostalgia having grown up in the 80s. The chapters were titled after songs from the 80s which was a nice touch. I enjoyed Ivy and Corey's story. This was such a sweet and fun read. I think the narrators did a great job and made the book enjoyable.

I received an alc and this review is my own.

Captured the 80s Perfectly

I read this book about 5 months ago and loved the story then, but I think I actually prefer it in audio! There's just something special about the way Samantha Summers captures the voice of Ivy at all ages and makes the story that much more enhanced. You don't get that just from reading. So, the audio experience was extra special. I also loved the way that you could just tell that this was an 80s romance by the inflection and the way certain things were said, but it wasn't done in a corny way. It just felt authentic. Almost like watching a movie from that time period. So it didn't feel cheesy. I also love JD Tomlinson as Corey. He captures the masculine qualities, but also the boyishness of Corey in High School. His cocky quips and his smooth talking came through so authentically and made for the story to feel so real. These two did a fantastic job bringing these characters and the side characters to life. I loved every minute of it!

perfect all around!

i read this book on my kindle as an arc and i loved it and getting to come back around for the audiobook put me even deeper into my feels and love for this story! the duet was fantastic and the actors really brought ivy and corey to life! steffanie is such a brilliant writer so listening to this book truly was such a wonderful experience and i really felt like i had a movie playing in my head! i highly recommend! 🧡

Loved the 80s vibes in this hockey romance!

This audiobook completely pulled me in from the start. The 1980s setting, the fake-dating trope, and the deep emotional layers of Ivy and Corey’s story made for a compelling listen.

The dual narration by Samantha Summers and JD Tomlinson was a standout. They truly brought Ivy and Corey to life, making the emotions hit even harder. There were moments that made me smile, moments that made my heart ache, and times when I had to pause just to process what I was feeling.

Samantha captures Ivy's resilience and vulnerability, effectively conveying her journey from a traumatic past to finding her place in high school. Her portrayal resonated with me, making Ivy's experiences both relatable and compelling.

JD embodies Corey with a balance of confidence and warmth. His delivery reflects Corey's evolution from a popular hockey player to a supportive friend and partner, enhancing his authenticity.

Strange Love offers a nostalgic journey filled with emotional depth. The combination of a compelling storyline and engaging performances makes this audiobook a worthwhile listen.