This paperback is on pre-order until release date March 2 2026 and book delivery arrives. 
 
Strong and Wild (Lakes Hockey #2) by Sloane St James
 
Freya
Things are looking up for me in my new Minnesota home. My bestie’s husband hooked me up with a great apartment above the hockey bar where I currently work, and I’ve got a great side gig bringing in plenty of cash to help fund my patisserie cocktail lounge. Life is sweet. My new neighbor, on the other hand, is not.

When he reveals his true self, I hate what I find. Until more of him unravels, proving we have more in common than I realized, and I don’t mean we both enjoy rock climbing or outdoor concerts. No, we have the good stuff—shared trauma. The only difference is I came out on the other side, and he’s still fighting his demons.

Rhys
Women aren’t going to be a distraction for me in my rookie year, where every single game feels like a try-out. I’ve got a one-year NHL contract, 365 days to prove to the Minnesota Lakes I’m worth the investment—which is why I need to stay far away from my neighbor across the hall.

Everything is fine until I find out she's the same woman I subscribe to online. Turns out we know each other quite well, but she thinks we're strangers—and I plan on keeping it that way. Until one night, she steps in to do a favor for me because she’s been in my shoes before. Now I’m showing her the real me, but it might not be enough for her.

This 18+ spicy hockey romance features dirty talk, praise, degradation, angst, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and of course, a happily ever after.

TW: Drug use, addiction, death, slut-shaming.