Fan of sports romance? Stephanie Archer should be on your list! Gloves Off is the fourth book in her Vancouver Storm series. The Fake Out, the second book in this series, is still one of my all-time favorites of the genre. This is the story of Alexei, the enforcer of the Vancouver Storm, and Georgia, one of the team’s doctors.
Alexei’s days left with the team are numbered: he’s aging out and his body is starting to feel it. That means his Canadian citizenship, and his parents’, is at risk. The funding for Georgia’s charity program to rehabilitate young sports players and keep them doing what they love is drying up. She’s got a heavy inheritance coming her way, but to access it, she has to get married. Despite their mutual loathing, Alexei & Georgia agree to help one another the only way possible…get hitched!
There is no question that Stephanie Archer can tell a great story. I loved so much of Alexei & Georgia’s romance, but I really struggle with the marriage of convenience trope, and that’s where my biggest hangup was in this book.
We start off with a couple of quick opening chapters that is a play by play of exactly why each character needs to get married and why their past relationships have sucked, and nothing else. It didn’t feel very authentic – I could see the scaffolding of story structure too opaquely and I found myself rolling my eyes a little bit. I guess there’s nothing wrong with it, and many people would probably tell you that’s better than the alternative, but I found myself craving a little bit more.
Despite the clumsy start, once the plot takes off, Gloves Off was easier to enjoy. Alexei & Georgia did not get off on the wrong foot, and they’d insulted each other just enough to not make either of them want to change that. But when the layers start peeling back, it’s impossible for them not to fall together.
I really love the little oddball things that make you fall deeper in love with the characters. In this case, the friendship bracelets, the bunnies, the obsession with a teenaged tv show…these are the things that I meant when I said I wanted more at the start instead of feeling a little too much wham-bam-thank-you-ma’amed. It is in there, you just have to work for it a little bit!
There’s a little bit of suspension of disbelief necessary here, but if you can get past all that, the love story underneath is really sweet and swoony. Alexei is a big tough grump, and seeing the softer side of a man like him always melts you right into a puddle, amiright?
If you just finished up Liz Tomforde’s Windy City series and are looking for something new to quench your thirst for hot athletes falling in love, give Vancouver Storm a try!
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Gloves Off (Vancouver Storm #4)
Author:: Stephanie Archer
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Dell
Length:: 464 pages
Published:: June 17th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
If you liked this book, check out…
Play Along | Liz Tomforde
Unloved | Peyton Corinne
Only in Your Dreams | Ellie K. Wilde
The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy