Weak Side

Bexley U, Book 1

By: S.J. Sylvis

Narrated by: Michael Gallagher, Sarah McEwan

He's the hottest hockey player in the nation, and I just agreed to be his fake girlfriend.

Theo Brooks is hard not to notice. With his coy smirk, rock-hard abs, and skilled agility on the ice, he's the cockiest of all the jocks and, unfortunately for me, my new roommate.

When Admissions mixes up my first and last name, and I end up living in the male dorms, I feel my perfectly tied schedule loosening with every string Theo pulls. And he likes to pull every single one.

It isn't until I find out that my long-time boyfriend is sampling other girls that things get interesting. Theo proposes a solution to my problem—he helps me make my ex jealous, and I help him fend off the relentless puck bunnies that are doing nothing but distracting him from sealing his future with the best NHL team there is.

So, we fake date. We kill two birds with one stone. The puck bunnies think he's taken. My ex is regretting his poor choices.

But the more Theo Brooks shows up by my side and places his hand around my waist, the more I realize that the lines we drew are blurring. This may have started as a fake dating scheme, but with each misleading kiss, we may both get more than we bargained for.

Weak Side is a spicy fake dating, forced proximity college sports romance. It is a complete standalone.

©2023 S.J. Sylvis (P)2023 Podium Audio

Very enjoyable

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators did a great job voicing these characters and I was totally engaged in the story. The characters were likable and I enjoyed how the relationship between Claire and Theo developed. There were also some surprises I didn’t see coming.

Loved this

College hockey - great characters , good story , no misunderstanding trope …. Highly recommend . Some spice happy ending ! Will follow this author

Weak side

I love this series it keeps you going till you don’t want to stop listening!

Good Book

I really enjoyed this book, it was easy to listen too, not too graphic or crazy dark scenes. Amazing guy who finds his true love, a girl who's been let down her whole life.

Holy Angst & Chemistry!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶🌶
Heat/Angst: 🔥🔥🔥
Narrating: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

I really enjoyed this book. I actually read Puck Block first as an arc, and it was really good. This book had been in my tbr list for over s year now and and I couldn't be happier that I was finally able to read Theo and Claire's story.

Tropes:
- College Hockey Romance (Captain)
- Athletic (Ballerina)
- Fake Dating
- Roommates to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Slow Burn

What started out as a mix up, ends up making Claire's new dorm roommate a guy. And just not any guy, the Captain of the hockey team, Theo Brooks. Claire hates all jocks due to her personal home life and things she has been led to believe by her mother her whole life.

Theo wants nothing getting into his way his senior year at Bexley U. Not even puck bunnies are going to stop him from making it into the NHL. He's the best player in the league and he's got his sight say on team in particular.

When puck bunnies start randomly showing up naked in Theo's bed, uninvited, he used Claire as his girl to make them go away. After that, they style in an agreement that they would pretend to help each other out.

As you can imagine, Feelings start happening the more they pretended until the pull towards each other. The tension was strong and I was often times thinking and hoping that moment would be theirs to get together.

The betraying was amazing. Both narrators did an amazing job reading the other characters and doing their voices. I really hope to hear these two work together again.

Roommates to lovers with a hockey twist

I absolutely loved this story from SJ Sylvis! Claire is focused and determined to make it on her own, she doesn't ask for help ever...so when she moves into her new dorm she never considered her room is located on the male only floor ...or that her roommate might be the hot shot hockey player who goes through girls like boxers.

Theo is focused on achieving his dream of playing professional hockey, he doesn't have time for girlfriends but he can't certainly enjoy the female form. He does not need a distraction in the form of his beautiful roommate...but he can't help it.

I thought Sarah and Michael did a fabulous job with the characters. One of my favorite part of dual narration is getting to hear each narrator take on the different character voices.

Absolutely loved it

Hockey and football romance stories are my favorite. This one was one of the best very well written great original story the narration was fantastic I really loved it.

Fake Dating the Captain of the Hockey team

SJ Sylvis is a new author to me and she didn’t fail with keeping my attention in this first book. Absolutely loved Leo & Claire.

Claire is going into her junior year of college. Having a partial scholarship and planning on working hard to get the lead in the dance performance to win a full ride senior year is her plan. Working at the sports bar, working hard in school, training for dance and spending time with her boyfriend is her schedule. When she arrives at the sports dorms she finds out she got set up on the male floor. Meaning she will be dorming with a male. Not just any guy… but the captain of the hockey team.

Leo is the captain of the hockey team and his sole focus is winning the championship his senior year and signing with his dream NHL team. He doesn’t want any distractions, but in comes the spicy pint size ballet dancer, also known as his new dorm mate.

Something happens between Claire and her boyfriend and she wants him off her back. Leo wants all the puck bunnies to leave him alone. This is when they decide to fake date to help both of them. That is until they kiss and spend time together when they realize they bring each other comfort and passion.

Tropes:
Hockey romance
College romance
Forced proximity
Roommates
Fake dating
Reformed Playboy
OM drama

Narrators did a great job

I feel like the narrators fit the characters great. I also enjoy the story.

🏒 Hockey romance
👥 Accidental college roommates/forced proximity
💃 Ballet dancer
👫 Fake Dating

Claire is staying in the dorms at Bexley U and quickly learns her roommate is none other than Theo Brooks, one of the infamous Bexley U hockey players. Turns out, admissions mixed her name up, thinking it was Bryant Claire, and paired her up with Theo in the dorms. Unfortunately, there aren't any empty rooms for either of them to relocate so they're stuck together

Claire's boyfriend is not happy about this but isn't dissatisfied enough to allow her to move in with him. Theo isn't dating anyone and wants to keep it that way so he can fully focus on hockey and being the best for the NHL draft.

At first the two have a rocky start, until Claire comes up with her roommate rules list. Theo amends a few of the rules before agreeing to them. It seems to work for them, for the most part.

Theo finds himself at a party and sees a familiar face, making out with some random girl. He recognizes the face as Claire's boyfriend. At first he doesn't want to tell her but makes mention of him not being faithful to her. Claire doesn't believe it but then sees it with her own eyes when she shows up at a party she'd typically never attend. At that moment, Claire and Theo help each other out. He wants to fake date her so she show her now ex that she's stronger than he thinks she is. She's willing to fake date him so he isn't propositioned by so many puck bunnies (yeah right).

This story was a fun one with an interesting twist at the end. When I first read this book (I've since listened to the audio book a few times), I honestly didn't predict that turn of events but was totally happy with it.

Sweet and spicy

easy listening, smooth duel narration. can't wait to get the next book in the series. each is interconnected standalone.