Review: Gloves Off (Vancouver Storm #4) by Stephanie Archer
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Series: Vancouver Storm #4
Author: Stephanie Archer
Published June 25th 2025 by Orion Publishing
Goodreads Synopsis
The only way to get my inheritance? Marry Alexei Volkov—the grumpiest enforcer in the NHL, a brutally handsome jerk, and the last man I’d ever fall for.
In public, we act as besotted newlyweds, but in private, we’re at each other’s throats. He’s competitive, arrogant, and surly. The guy’s never cracked a smile in his life. He’s jealous of my ex, he glares at my high heels, and insists he’s not attracted to me. He’s only marrying me for citizenship.
Fighting with Alexei is more fun than expected, though, and beneath his grouchy exterior, Alexei is surprisingly caring, protective, and generous.
He cooks for me and worries about my safety.
He sends me flowers with secret meanings and spends way too much money on me.
He makes me sleep in his bed and calls me his wife. For a guy who said he’d never fall in love with me, Alexei’s doing a good impression of it… and now I’m wondering if this marriage is fake after all.
Goodreads
Review
In Gloves Off, enemies Alexei and Georgia soon discover just how thin the line between love and hatred is when they are forced to marry. Alexei Volkov has been one of the greatest hockey players Canada has ever seen, but he's approaching the end of his career, and he still hasn't been able to secure his Canadian citizenship. An off the cuff comment soon leads Alexei to making the one choice he never thought he would - voluntarily marrying Dr Georgia Greene, the woman who has made his life hell for the last few years. For Georgia, she hates Alexei's guts, but she needs to marry in order to gain her inheritance and use the money to save the research programme she leads at the local hospital. And how hard can it be to pretend to be madly in love with the handsome hockey player for a year, max?
I loved the first few books in this series, and the snarky little comments and looks between Alexei and Georgia made me desperate to read their story. I'm a sucker for an enemies to lovers story, and that was done so well in this book. Because of the way they met each other years ago, a bad first impression has tainted their every interaction since. I loved the way that they would pretend to be happily in love with each other one minute, and then make comments about how much they hated each other the next. It was obvious to everyone that they were slowly falling for each other, and I liked how easily it was for their friends to see right through them and call them out on their lies. Both sets of families were so loving and invested in Alexei and Georgia's happiness, and it was wonderful to see them grow closer to each set of in-laws. The rest of the Vancouver Storm gang had really big parts to play in the story, and it's always a joy to see how past couples are still so in love when you have companion series like this one.
Dates Read:
August 15, 2025
Rating
4 Stars
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