My sports romance reads are picking up once more. Gloves Off, the fourth book in Stephanie Archer’s Vancouver Storm series, has finally made its way into my hands. With my so-so feelings towards Behind the Net, The Fake Out, and The Wingman, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one. The series has been alright for me, but nothing memorable compared to other big-name sports romance series out there.

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.

I did feel like I knew what to expect going into this one, and it didn’t vary far from that line of thought. In a way, it is good because there weren’t any curveballs or unnecessary dramas to throw things off, but at the same time the read therefore felt pretty chill. There is smut in this book, so I’m not saying its boring or flat, and the enemies-to-lovers line is pretty solid as far as the trope goes. Again, it just isn’t something striking to me, and I don’t feel as connected with these characters as I do in the Playing for Keeps series.

I did like the revealing of all the misconceptions and assumptions between Alexei and Georgia; personalities and habits being laid bare, motivations and fear coming into the spotlight, not to mention the addressing of past traumas and relationships to help both heal. They are good for each other, and seeing their romance blossom was a treat. I love seeing flowers be used with their meanings, so I had a good laugh with the various bouquets Georgia received. I also really liked the fact Alexei’s work fixation and concerns had a focal point in this one. For someone who has been in the league for as long as he has, and hasn’t really had anything else going on outside of that, finding that purpose outside of the sport is instrumental to his character and his relationship with others. Seeing his character growth in Gloves Off is part of the reason I stuck with the novel.

I will have to admit this now, though: I don’t think I will be continuing with the series should any other books be released. This is not Stephanie Archer’s fault. I have read more than a handful of sports romance series in the last year, and most of them included ice hockey. the series I mentioned earlier, Playing for Keeps by Becka Mack, is all ice hockey and deals with a lot of the same themes and tropes as the Vancouver Storm series. I really like the character interactions and relationships, both romantic and platonic, in that series, and the character deep dives are more layered and intriguing to me. With Breathe with Me slowly but steadily getting closer and closer on my library requests, I am eagerly anticipating what could be the completion of the series, and unfortunately, that excitement easily beats out how I feel about the Vancouver Storm series.

But I know there will be readers who like this series, even fall in love with it. The characters are sweet, funny, and caring, and the character development and relationships are a lovely mix of understanding and teasing, and sometimes combative. The Vancouver Storm series does deserve its share of readers, so if you are a sports romance reader then I hope you give it a go.