The Cupcake Cottage (Hockey Sweethearts Book 1)

Author Profile

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ABOUT JEAN:

Jean Oram is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author who writes feel-good small town romances. She grew up in a town of 100 (cats and dogs not included) and owns one pair of high heels which she has worn approximately three times in the past twenty years.

Jean lives in Canada with her husband, two kids, cat, dog, and the pesky deer that wander into her yard to eat her rose bushes and apple trees. She can often be found outdoors hiking up a mountain, camping or reading a book.

Thank you for reading!

You can find more about Jean on her website: www.jeanoram.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/jeanoramauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeanoram

Non-review Rant

This was read in Feb 2024, while I was travelling from Nagpur to Pune.

 

Recap

The book is about Daisy- Mae who’s ex-boyfriend was a hockey player and she had had a crush on Maverick, the star hockey-player-slash-player, if you know what I mean. Maverick had been involved in a scandal and now needs to clean up his act so his team can get sponsors and deals. I don’t know how that thing works, nor do I have any insight into any game from close quarters but what do I know, really?

So, long story short, Maverick’s coach suggests that Maverick and Daisy-Mae pretend to date each other, for the whole “cleanup” act facade. It helps that Maverick had had a crush on Daisy-Mae for ages.

And thus begins a fake relationship romance.

Some Notes

Chapter 2 – Page 46

That set her back for approximately three seconds. “But they’re rich. And Daisy- Mae is in her thirties. She can’t afford to be choosy.”

Note – Page 46: and here is the mother villain–her and Daisy’s ex, that should be all.

Chapter 3 – Page 56

Maverick halted, hope and his righteousness battling each other.

Chapter 3 – Page 66

She extended her proverbial foot for his glass slipper.

Chapter 3 – Page 71

Maverick had a feeling this was going to be the best non- date he’d ever had.

Chapter 7 – Page 158

She blushed, and he knew that while he might have a crush on Daisy- Mae Ray, she had a crush right back.

Chapter 7 – Page 165

All of her insecurities fled back to where they belonged in Stupidland.

Chapter 8 – Page 180

She watched his expression, getting the feeling that he was really starting to hate that part of their relationship.

Note – Page 180: yada yada over the important bit.

Chapter 8 – Page 191

“Daisy-Mae, I don’t know if you know this, but I’m kind of falling for you over here.”

Chapter 8 – Page 192

“Maverick Blades, you silly, dense man,” she snapped before she could stop herself. “I have been crushing on you for so many years. And dating you has only made those feelings stronger. I love the way you treat me, and you have been the best boyfriend. Ever.”

Chapter 12 – Page 262

“Seriously, Daise,” he said.

Note – Page 262: So refreshing and relieving to see a non-hyphenated name.

Chapter 13 – Page 291

“You call the shots. You’re my captain. You’re my first team. Always and forever.”

~

Review

Let me start by saying, “The Cupcake Cottage” by Jean Oram wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t exactly sweep me off my feet either. It falls into the category of those books you read and then promptly forget about.

I guess I wasn’t a big fan of a hockey-base love story. I don’t know much about the game and it was kind of a big deal, second only to the “real fake-dating” bit, which I didn’t get either. I mean, what is “fake dating for real”, anyway?  It felt forced and unrealistic and even confusing, like the author was trying too hard to create drama where it wasn’t needed.

Another thing that bugged me was Daisy-Mae’s name. I’m all for unique names, but the hyphenated moniker just didn’t sit right with me. It felt like a gimmick, and I found it distracting.

Overall, “The Cupcake Cottage” was a miss for me. It lacked the depth and substance I look for in a good romance novel, and I found myself skimming through the pages just to get to the end. If you’re a fan of hockey and quirky names, you might enjoy it more than I did. But if you’re like me and prefer your romances a bit more grounded, you might want to give this one a pass.

Stay tuned for more book reviews in my “one book review per month” series. This month, I have scheduled threetwo. Isn’t that nice?

Until next time, happy reading!