Set Point by Meg Jones (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Game, Set, Match series. Ines and Chloe have been rivals on the tennis court for years, mostly from Chloe being aggressive and unprofessional. Plus she ghosted Ines once after they kissed at a party. It doesn’t help that Chloe is now dating Ines’ former mixed doubles partner. Somehow, they get entangled together again as Chloe tries to clean up her act and Ines is working on a comeback. It’s bickering and tension for most of the book, until they finally start being honest with each other. Definitely some toxic parents and upbringing for Chloe that I’m sure contributes to her mental health. Ines is the mature one here, but definitely vulnerable with the way Chloe hurt her before. It’s messy and chaotic, but so much fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Collins Audio.

Happy Ending by Chloe Liese (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Friends to lovers romance here with Thea and Alex, who only met because their exes are dating. Alex is a hot chef single dad and Thea is a bookseller dog mom. They’re the best of friends and totally comfortable there. Except both are very clearly yearning for more. Thea’s mostly risk-averse and doesn’t want to lose the friendship and found family she’s created with Alex. We have a split timeline style of storytelling here, cut between present day and two years prior when their friendship began. Loads of angst and yearning, despite the comfy cozy friendship.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Game Misconduct by Ari Baran (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Penalty Box series. Another strong start to an MM hockey romance series. Mike is pretty lonely and used to getting into fights on the ice, most often with rival player Danny. They meet unexpectedly in an alley in a queer neighborhood in Mike’s town and have an angry backalley hookup. Only to be repeated when they see each other again after a game. This is a super slow burn romance, with the progression from Twitter DMs, to Snapchat convos, to exchanging real numbers. But once they actually realize they like each other and not hate each other, the connection between them is so much fun to read. Content warnings for Danny’s alcoholism and depression.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Delay of Game by Ari Baran (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Penalty Box series. Friends to friends with benefits situation here, with pretty boy screw up Zach and the all-around good guy captain Nate. They’ve been buddies for years, with possible deeper feelings, but no one makes a move until one drunken night. And then they keep doing it, but tell themselves it’s for good luck so they keep winning hockey games. But like, Zach is the total golden retriever who thinks he’s doing a great job at wooing Nate, but also not verbalizing his feelings. Emotional angst all around when things fall apart because both of these dummies are too scared of ruining the friendship to say out loud what they really want.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Home Ice Advantage by Ari Baran (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Penalty Box series. Workplace rivals to lovers to so much more here. Ryan is basically dumped by his wife and offered a new job all in the same week, with a new position as head coach. Unfortunately for him, the assistant coach Eric also wanted to job and is totally resentful of Ryan. What starts as angry bickering, turns to angry sex, and then a genuine connection between these two. I loved reading their relationship develop and them learning more about each other. It was just so easy for them to fall into the patterns of being real partners, especially since they see each other at work all the time. Loved this book so much. I mean, I love this whole series, so you should just read them all.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Goaltender Interference by Ari Baran (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Penalty Box series. Second chance romance here between Aiden and Matt. They’ve been apart for like a decade, but meet up again after Aiden is retired and Matt is in New York with his family. They start casually angrily hooking up, with very little in the way of conversation. It’s pretty much a very slow rekindling of their relationship, especially after Aiden goes to stay with Matt in Montreal. Neither of these guys is willing to be direct or ask for what they want because they’re afraid of bursting the bubble they have right now. Add in Aiden’s post-retirement depression and we have a recipe for tons of angst. Not my fave of the series, but still a great read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.