ARC Review: ‘The Girlfriend Zone’ by Lauren Blakely
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The Girlfriend Zone
by Lauren BlakelySeries: Love and Hockey #4
Published by Self-Published on March 26, 2025
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 474
Source: the author
Audience: 18+/Adult
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In my defense, I had no idea the tattooed, glasses-wearing, soulful hottie I spent one perfect day—and one unforgettable night—with was a hockey star on my father’s team. And Miles didn’t know I was the coach’s daughter.
That’s the point of a “no-work-talk” date.
But now? He's as forbidden to me as I am to him.
When I land a new gig as the team photographer, we vow to keep it professional. We mostly succeed…except for that time after a game when he couldn’t keep his talented hands off me. And, okay, maybe that other time before a road trip. But I swear, it won’t happen again.
Too much is at stake—I can’t risk my heart or my father’s team.
But when I end up living at Miles’s place to care for his pack of rescue pups, the lines blur fast. Late nights turn into stolen moments and I discover there’s more to him than I ever imagined—a man who’s genuine, thoughtful, and irresistibly real.
He looks at me like he can’t believe his luck. Touches me like he never wants to let go. And listens to my hopes and fears.
My heart’s getting dangerously attached. But if I follow it… am I putting everyone’s dreams on the line?
coach’s daughter, the one who got away, starts with a bang, second chance vibes, age gap, forbidden hockey romance, forced proximity, workplace romance
The Girlfriend Zone is the fourth interconnected standalone novel in Lauren Blakely’s Love and Hockey series. If you enjoy sports romance stories featuring a steamy second chance at love, a successful and driven FMC, and an incredibly sweet and lovable hockey player MMC, then check out this book right away! If you are also looking for an emotional and touching HEA story, especially at the end of the book, then I definitely can’t recommend this book enough.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each book in this series, and this one, in particular, had a profound impact on my heart and soul. Both characters were incredibly lovable, and I appreciated getting to know them and reading their HEA. Lauren Blakely introduced us to the sweet, cinnamon roll hockey hero, Miles Falcon. I couldn’t help but fall for him, especially as he quickly developed deep feelings for Leighton and showed genuine care for her. Miles consistently demonstrates his affection throughout the book, carefully considering Leighton’s feelings and truly listening to her. He noticed every detail about her, which made their connection even more special.
Then, there is Leighton, who is such a driven and amazing person to know. She’s a photographer who is just starting, but she is incredibly talented at her job. She has a fantastic personality and a clear vision of what she wants out of life. I loved the scenes where she was working at the hockey rink taking pics, plus the studio for the boudoir sessions, because they made me feel like I was right there with her.
However, one issue I had was that she was afraid of jeopardizing her relationship with her father if she pursued her happiness with Miles. Their relationship had to remain a secret when they reconnected, and she shouldn’t have had to hide it. She was genuinely happy and loved by Miles, and she should have felt free to share that with the world.
Lauren provides representation in this book through the character of Leighton, who wears hearing aids due to her hearing loss. I’ve only come across a few books that feature this kind of representation. As someone married to a person who wears hearing aids and who also experiences her own hearing loss—though it isn’t severe enough to require hearing aids—I resonated with Leighton’s frustrations and the challenges she faced. I appreciated how Miles listened to her and considered her needs, ensuring she could understand him. He was genuinely a sweet and caring person toward her. He also does something towards the end of the book for Leighton that touched my heart so much that I had tears. Leighton is one lucky gal to have Miles in her life.
I will mention one more thing that I loved about this book—actually, two more things. Mile’s Grandma was such a riot in this book when it came to playing matchmaker. She knew that Miles and Leighton were meant to be together, even if they believed they couldn’t due to Leighton’s father, but she was always trying to push them together. I loved it. There were also Mile’s mom’s dogs that Leighton was babysitting, which ended up playing an adorable part in the story. I love how Lauren’s love of rescued/fostered animals always plays a part in her books. Now, if I could only convince my husband that we should have more than five animals because every time I read a Lauren Blakely book, I want to go and rescue more animals.
Overall, another great installment in this series by Lauren, and I give it 4.5 stars. If you haven’t read a Lauren Blakely book yet then you’re missing out, especially if you enjoy reading Hockey Romance stories.
What to Expect:
🏒Hockey Romance
🏒Coach’s Daughter
🏒Forbidden Romance
🏒Second Chance Vibes
🏒Age Gap
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Workplace Romance
🏒Photographer Heroine
About Lauren Blakely
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
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