The Unwritten Rule follows Sydney McKinnly, a world-famous driver trying to rebuild his career after a messy breakup, and Heather Everett-Fortier, a biographer who wants to chase her dream of writing romance. They crash back into each other’s lives after a holiday fling. What begins as a simple work agreement turns into a slow burn filled with heat, tension, and all the trouble that comes from pretending feelings can stay boxed up. The book blends a jet-setting racing world with the quiet hopes of two people who keep trying to guard their hearts. And it builds toward a love story that hits hard in all the soft places.
I found myself caught off guard by how warm the writing feels. The tone is bright. The emotions creep up. The dialogue snaps with charm. I liked how the chapters alternate between Heather and Sydney. The voices feel distinct and real. Heather’s mix of self-doubt and stubborn hope made me root for her right away. Sydney’s grief and grit pull the story in deeper. I kept thinking about how both of them try so hard to convince themselves they don’t want more. The way those walls fall apart is sweet and a little messy. I liked that. The snowy getaway scenes hooked me fast. The racing-world details give it an extra spark without dragging the story down.
Some moments made me grin. Some made me ache a bit. I enjoyed how the author lets the characters run into their own fears. The book doesn’t rush their growth. The chemistry builds at a slow simmer. Then it hits like a punch of heat when they let go. The writing style kept me turning pages. It’s clean, warm, and playful. At times, I wished a few emotional beats lingered longer, but the pace fits the story’s high-energy world. I also loved how Heather’s dream of writing romance mirrors the romance she is stumbling into. It adds a sweet echo to every chapter.
The Unwritten Rule is a great pick for readers who want a sports romance with heart, tension, and a steamy payoff. Fans of character-driven love stories will enjoy watching Heather and Sydney trip over their own rules and fall anyway. If you like a mix of emotional healing, travel, and slow-building chemistry, The Unwritten Rule is worth picking up.
Matthew, the third installment in Alisa Jean’s Los Angeles Quakes Hockey series, follows enforcer Matthew Holt as he navigates life after the devastating loss of his sister, Samantha. Grieving, guilt-ridden, and hardened by heartbreak, Matthew returns to the ice with a chip on his shoulder and a target on his back. But when he meets Phoebe Anderson, a sweet, klutzy marketing assistant with a past of her own, his world starts to thaw. Their passionate, complicated fling tests boundaries, including the sacred “bro code,” since Phoebe is the sister of one of Matthew’s teammates. Packed with emotion, scorching chemistry, and hockey grit, this story dives deep into grief, healing, and the jagged road back to love.
I was pulled in right from the first chapter. Alisa Jean’s writing is raw and vivid. Matthew’s voice, sarcastic, foul-mouthed, but deeply broken, felt so real I could practically hear him cursing in my ear. His visits to his sister’s grave wrecked me. I wasn’t ready for that level of emotional gut-punch, especially in a sports romance. And then there’s Phoebe. She’s charming and clumsy, but with just enough edge to hold her own against a man like Matthew. Their banter cracked me up. The way they fumbled (and then sprinted) into bed was spicy, but what surprised me was how tender those moments ended up being. This was about finding someone who sees past your wreckage.
The story sprints between emotional trauma, lighthearted flirtation, and steamy scenes without always giving time to breathe. Some transitions felt abrupt, especially between moments of intense grief and casual, almost comedic dialogue. And yet, I didn’t want to put it down. The supporting cast, especially the hockey boys, gave the story color and camaraderie, even if they sometimes felt like they belonged to another book. The tension between Matthew and Phoebe’s brother added great stakes, but I wished it had been explored a bit more. Still, I couldn’t help rooting for them.
Matthew is a messy, fiery, emotional rollercoaster of a romance with heart. It’s not just about two people falling in lust or love. It’s about falling apart and having the guts to let someone see the broken pieces. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves sports romance with emotional depth, a broody alpha with a soft center, and heroines who trip in heels but still manage to land on their feet. If you like your love stories hot, hilarious, and heartbreaking all at once, this one’s for you.
Luka follows a hockey player navigating the aftermath of a traumatic injury who crosses paths with a woman who forces him to power through his pain and enter the world of community outreach. What made you write a romance story within this setting?
Who doesn’t love a romance with a damaged hero and a feisty heroine LOL!
When we were writing “Lincoln”, the first book in the series, we’d set Luka up as a ridiculously handsome, happy-go-lucky playboy who spoke several languages. He was so endearing and charming that even the women he broke up with had nothing but nice things to say about him. That kind of perfect life had to come with a price tag eventually. Reading about a few players in real life who had suffered injuries from skate blades, it seemed like the obvious source for Luka’s downfall. But was he so vain that having his perfect face marred would be enough to send him off the rails? It also raised the question of could someone really have had such a perfect life, or was there something he’d been hiding even from his teammates? Those are the questions we want readers to be asking themselves.
We’d set up how active the Quakes organization is in the community, including a charity gala event where they raised money for the Quakes Foundation in “Lincoln”. Before the accident, Luka even tells they guys he’s excited to be helping out with a reading program since Spanish is one of the languages he speaks fluently. We wanted to carry through with that idea of what if he backs out of it. How would a struggling non-profit react? It made for a great, conflict ridden beginning of their story. We also wanted to reflect the real life commitment to their city our actual NHL team has shown throughout the years.
We also wanted to shine a light on two very real tragedies in the hockey world and raise awareness of ways to prevent them. One was the tragic death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, whose neck was fatally cut in a game in London and subsequently died on the ice. Since then, cut-resistant gear has been given more attention but there’s still a lot that can be done to make the game safer. The other is head trauma, which is a concern not just in hockey but other sports as well. There is developing new technology that reduces impact and has sensors to monitor the impact and send real time alerts to the training staff.
What comes first for you–the plot or the characters–and why?
With our hockey books, characters come first and then we figure out how they meet and their story. That’s the fun of writing a series like this is riffing about future storylines in the process of writing one book. We had no idea Luka would end up where he did in his book when we first introduced him, but as crazy as it sounds, we had to get to know him better to know where his story would take him.
Which of the characters do you relate to the most and why?
That’s the great thing about two main characters – there’s something for everyone! On one hand, we relate to Liliana. She takes no prisoners and is protective of her kids. Lily wants to do more with her life by making a difference.
On the other hand, we’re also drawn to Luka. We all have wounds, internal and external, that change our perspective on who we are at once point in our lives. How we handle them is the thing and the fact that Luka falls down in that department from time to time makes him relatable to a lot of people.
You didn’t really think we were going to choose one of our children over the other, did you? LOL.
Where will the third book in this series take readers? When can fans look forward to seeing it released?
Yes! Matthew, our very angry D-man on the Quakes blue line, is next up. Without giving anything away, readers will literally get to see there are two sides to every story and Matt’s is both emotional and hilarious. At the very least, we use a plot device that we can honestly say we haven’t seen in any other hockey romances. His book releases on July 15th, 2025 in both eBook and paperback at your favorite online retailer.
As the hottest left-winger in the league, I was the handsome golden boy for the L.A. Quakes. But after suffering horrific injuries during a game, my life is on a breakaway to disaster. My biggest fear is a darkness from my past is about to repeat itself. All I want to do is hide from the world, but fate has another plan.
Feisty beauty Liliana Alvarez doesn’t suffer fools lightly, especially when it comes to her kids in her new non-profit outreach. She’ll drag me, kicking and screaming, if necessary, from the hole I’ve crawled into if it’s the last thing she does. For some reason, she is patient enough to wait for me to heal and something sparks between us, wounds, and all. But her abusive ex-boyfriend threatens to shatter our hopes of a happily ever after.
Can enemies-turned-lovers help save each other or is the ice tilted against us?
Luka: Hockey Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Beauty & The Beast, Tortured Hero, Curvy Heroine Different Cultures, Stalker Ex-Boyfriend
Luka is a gut-punch of a sports romance wrapped in raw emotion and resilience. It follows Luka Ribic, a star hockey player whose life takes a brutal turn after a devastating injury. His face and his sense of self are permanently scarred when a skate blade slashes across his temple during a game. What follows is a slow-burn, tension-filled journey as Luka grapples with his trauma, drowns his pain in whiskey, and isolates himself from the people who care about him. Then, there’s Liliana Alvarez, a fiercely determined woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone. She calls Luka out on his broken promises and drags him (sometimes literally) into her world of community outreach, where his past, his fears, and his future collide in ways he never saw coming.
Luka’s character is layered and heartbreakingly real. The opening scene slams us straight into his nightmare, his body hitting the ice, the crack of his head, the searing pain of the blade. The injury isn’t just physical, it’s mental. His panic attacks, his self-loathing, the way he pushes his friends away, it all feels painfully authentic. One moment that sticks out is when a little kid in a grocery store takes one look at Luka’s scarred face and runs away in fear. That hit hard. It’s a reminder that his struggles aren’t just in his head, his reality has shifted, and the world sees him differently now.
Then there’s Liliana. If Luka is fire, she’s an explosion. She storms into his life, calling him an “arrogant shit” to his face, and honestly? He needs it. Their first interaction is hilarious. She’s furious that he bailed on a reading event for underprivileged kids, and she doesn’t care that he’s a pro athlete with a sob story. But as the book unfolds, their chemistry goes from sharp and combative to something deeper. One of the most satisfying moments is when she calls him out on his self-pity, but later, she’s the one to defend him when she learns about his injury. The way their relationship shifts from enemies to reluctant allies to something more is so well done that you don’t even realize when you start rooting for them.
The writing is sharp, the emotions hit hard, and the banter is top-tier. There’s humor in the darkness. Luka’s dry wit, the way his teammates refuse to let him spiral too far, Liliana’s family roasting her for not realizing she was about to meet a hockey legend. The book does a fantastic job of balancing heavy themes like trauma, self-worth, addiction with the lightness of friendship, love, and redemption.
Luka is perfect for fans of sports romances with grit, heart, and plenty of heat. If you love a broken-but-badass hero, a heroine who doesn’t take any nonsense, and a love story that burns slow but explodes when it counts, this one’s for you. And if you’re into hockey? Even better.
Overruling Judgment follows an independent and successful woman who falls in love with two brothers without knowing they were related at the start, and they all build a relationship. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Like the characters in my story, I attended law school in the Chicago area. Shortly after graduating, life changed the direction of my career when my four-year-old son was diagnosed that he was going deaf. I feel that the need to adjust one’s career is something that is relatable to many people.
What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
I want my readers to feel that the characters are real and connect with them. My characters have intense feelings for one another but are not always perfect. I speak my dialogue aloud to ensure realism.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
Although the actions themselves differ greatly from my own life, I can strongly empathize with the emotions of regret felt by Ian, the sense of loss experienced by Sasha, and the feeling of disappointment expressed by JD
What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am currently finishing the next book to follow Overruling Judgment where the story focuses on Kat, Seth, and Dylan. I hope to publish in the spring 2024.
Ian refuses to allow an explosive night of passion to derail his desire to make partner at the law firm. But, her tempting presence in the office, along with her alluring scent, mocks his resolve.
JD’s the hot art teacher with the body and stamina of a former professional hockey player. He’s a creative master, in and out of the bedroom, who captures the affection of the brilliant young attorney, but he second-guesses if he’s enough for her.
Sasha won’t settle for less in her career or love life. It’s all or nothing. After a twist of fate and a proclamation of love, Sasha escapes choosing between Ian and JD. The alternative is far more arousing.
With careers in flux and hearts on the line, how will they all find the fortitude to come out on top?
Overruling Judgment by Liz Ellyn delves into the captivating realm of polyamory, a romance trope that has gained significant momentum in recent years. This enthralling novel aims to seize the essence of this popular trope and succeeds admirably. Our protagonist, Sasha, finds herself unexpectedly entangled in a relationship with not just one but two remarkable men. Although she never intended for this situation to unfold, circumstances lead her to inadvertently fall into this unique dynamic. The two men, JD and Ian, happen to be brothers, adding an intriguing layer of complexity to their shared connection.
The true strength of this book lies within its skillfully crafted erotic scenes. These intimate moments are depicted with great finesse, allowing the reader to vividly experience the pleasure that radiates from the pages. Moreover, the inclusion of alternate points of view adds an enriching dimension to the narrative. Through the eyes of all three main characters, readers are granted a distinctive and multifaceted perspective, further enhancing their engagement with the story. However, while Overruling Judgment excels in many aspects, it falls somewhat short in its portrayal of a polyamorous relationship. Notably, neither of the characters consciously sought out this type of relationship initially. Sasha finds herself dating both JD and Ian simultaneously, without their knowledge of each other’s involvement. The fact that they are brothers may also introduce a sense of unease for some readers. Furthermore, the book’s depiction of the character’s reactions to the relationship lacks a certain level of realism. Although a degree of skepticism is expected, the resolution of these concerns is swift and glossed over too hastily. Given more room to develop, a lengthier narrative could have allowed for a more nuanced exploration of the plot and its implications.
Despite these minor shortcomings, Overruling Judgment remains an alluring and captivating read. Its exploration of the polyamorous dynamic, coupled with the exquisitely crafted eroticism, offers readers an unforgettable journey. Liz Ellyn’s ability to bring forth the emotional and physical connections between the characters is commendable, providing a deeply satisfying reading experience. It is a book that celebrates love in all its complexities while also leaving room for growth and potential in its exploration of relationships. Fans of romance novels seeking a fresh and daring twist will undoubtedly be enthralled by this enthralling tale.
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