Face Off by Chelsea Curto is a spicy, dual-POV hockey romance novel and the first instalment in her popular D.C. Stars series. The story features an ultimate “black cat meets cocky golden retriever” dynamic between two professional athletes fighting for success on and off the ice.

I never really felt like I had a home. But with Emmy next to me, I think home is wherever she is . . .

Emmy Hartwell has waited for a spot on an NHL roster since she became a professional hockey player, and this season, she’ll finally get a chance to showcase her talents with the struggling DC Stars.

Maverick Miller is the best player in the league, but he’s never had a winning record. Team captain and desperate to turn things around, he agrees to play nice with the fiery new left-winger even though they’re total opposites.

After a night of explosive tension that ends in bed, Emmy and Maverick swear it’ll be a one-time thing – just enough to clear the air so they can focus on their game. It’s meaningless, she insists, because she doesn’t date hockey players, and he’s a notorious playboy who doesn’t date at all. But ‘just once’ quickly becomes again and again, and while they promise their friends-with-benefits setup will end with the season, their chemistry off the ice proves impossible to ignore . . .