Season's Schemings

By: Katie Bailey

Narrated by: Austin Rising, Melissa Moran

When Maddie Grainger’s longtime boyfriend dumps her on TV for the entire world to see, she thinks she’s hit rock bottom. Until her parents announce that they’re spending the holidays with her ex’s family…and he’ll be bringing the woman he left her for.

All Maddie wants for Christmas is to stick it to her cheating ex. But how? Enter Sebastian Slater, the NHL’s most infamous player. On a drunken night out in Vegas, Maddie asks the superstar athlete to pose as her new boyfriend. She’s kidding, mostly. But Seb shocks her by making a counter offer: he doesn’t want to date Maddie for the holidays...he wants to marry her. Show up at her ex’s cabin alone or with a surprise new hockey-playing husband? Maddie opts for the ultimate level-up.

Because maybe, just maybe, revenge is a dish best served betrothed. Sparks fly and Christmas cheer is abundant in this festive marriage-of-convenience romcom.

Season’s Schemings is a closed-door/fade-to-black romance that includes mild language, innuendo, and tons of sizzle without the spice.

©2023 Katie Bailey (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Season’s Schemings

This was really cute! Maddie is dumped on a TV show by her long time boyfriend. Sebastian is a hockey player who is a part of the team Maddie is working for now. When they find out they can help each other? All bets are off. He needs a way to fix his visa and she wants to make her ex jealous. I loved this book and it was the perfect Christmas read in December.

no spice, but so much fun

If I'm honest I don't do books with no spice, but this book had me interested the whole way and no 3rd act break up with the most cutest ending ever. Yeah count me in with this cute holiday book!

This book was amazing!!

I enjoyed this book so much! It was the most perfect little romance book!!! But be careful I might make you want to break up with your boyfriend or husband and find an NHL player!!😂

Very Cute

My first Katie Bailey book, and I really enjoyed it! Easy read, cute and fun— loved the revenge plot. Definitely heading right into the second book and will likely pick up her other connected books.

Fun Holiday Romance

Great, quick listen, feel good book. Cheating, but not between MC’s, heat but no smut, no 3rd act breakup. Just a cute & funny holiday romance. I laughed out loud multiple times and ended the book with a smile on my face.

Voodoo cookies for anyone who upsets Seb's wife!

I have read and loved every single Katie Bailey book.
For me, no one else compares to the quick pace of her heartfelt humor, and each book gets better and better. But THIS is the one that pushed me from looking forward to her books to being obsessed with them.

I laughed until tears poured over Seb and Maddie and developed a curious obsession with Jax at the same time.

Did she do that intentionally? I think so.😉

This book is closed door, but there's a lot of hysterical innuendo and quite honestly, it's my favorite. If you hate laughing or might be offended by heated moments in a pantry or hot tub between a technically married couple- this isn't for you.
But what a pity.😊

Seb & Maddies

Absolutely adore this one! Seb is totally the man that Maddie deserved all along. Even when they were “faking it” they were so real with each other. I love Maddie’s brother and all of Seb’s teammates. I definitely want to see more of them! This one leaves me feeling happy!!

Hearing this story narrated absolutely brought the story to life. Their voices just made them that much more real to me. So good!

Giving all the feels

Such a cute heartwarming story. I found myself laughing all thru this holiday hit. Loved it!

Cute

Basically a Hallmark movie in book form. It was cute, but very predictable, and not much happened. Started out strong, but then it was very slow and dragged on.

“Seasons Schemings” by Kate Bailey: A Missed Opportunity

This book follows Maddie, a talented chef whose life takes a dramatic turn when her long-term boyfriend dumps her on a televised cooking competition. The kicker? Their families are practically inseparable, and she’s still expected to spend Christmas at his family’s house. In the midst of this mess, Maddie lands a new job as the chef for the Atlanta NHL team. While navigating her new role, she has a series of awkward encounters with Seb, one of the team’s star players whose Canadian work visa has expired. Their unexpected connection leads to a drunken night in Vegas, culminating in a marriage of convenience that might solve Seb’s visa issues—but could it also be something more?

On paper, Seasons Schemings had all the right ingredients for a story I’d love: marriage of convenience, hockey romance, workplace dynamics. It gave me strong Jacksonville Rays vibes (Emily Rath fans, you know what I mean), so I was primed to devour it. Unfortunately, the execution left me cold.

First, this is a closed-door romance, which isn’t usually my preference, but I was in the mood for a low-steam palate cleanser. That said, even without explicit scenes, I wanted to feel the romantic and sexual tension between Maddie and Seb. Instead, their chemistry felt forced and one-dimensional. They talk about wanting each other a lot, but I never felt it. There was no spark, no heat—just a lot of telling instead of showing, which made their connection feel hollow.

Maddie, as a character, grated on my nerves. For someone portrayed as successful and independent, she often acted immature and naive. For instance, during a key scene where she bumps into her stepdad and her ex’s dad at a hockey game, she admits she wants to stick her tongue out at them like a child because they question her whirlwind wedding. It’s not an outrageous reaction, but when paired with her other behavior, it made her seem juvenile in situations where I expected maturity.

Seb, on the other hand, had potential as a love interest, but his struggles with his visa and hockey career didn’t translate into compelling stakes. The plot repeatedly circled bureaucratic discussions about visas and marriage legitimacy that dragged on and felt unnecessary. Sure, those are real concerns, but they didn’t add much emotional weight or tension to the story.

Even moments that should have been ripe with conflict fell flat. When Maddie and Seb arrive at her ex’s family home for Christmas to announce their marriage, the tension is barely a blip. Instead of diving into the inherent awkwardness and drama of the situation, the narrative glosses over it in favor of their love bubble. Every time Maddie’s ex is in the picture, there’s a passing acknowledgment of how “weird” things are, but it’s all surface-level.

Ultimately, the story suffers from telling instead of showing. The emotional beats lacked depth, the chemistry felt forced, and the tropes that drew me to the book weren’t executed in a way that resonated. It wasn’t a terrible read—it’s a quick, light romance that might work for someone looking for a breezy holiday story. But for me, it was just…meh.

Rating: 2/5

If you’re someone who loves closed-door romance with minimal conflict and light holiday vibes, this might be your cup of tea. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t mine.