• Home
  • About
  • Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Republication Policy
    • Review Policy
  • Reviews
    • Sortable Archive
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Narrator
    • Reviews by SubGenre
    • Reviews by Series
    • Reviews by Year
  • Challenges
    • 2024 FINISHING THE SERIES READING CHALLENGE (Archived)
    • In Death Read-A-Long Challenge
  • Giveaways
  • Author Interviews & Guest Posts

A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

Review: ‘Countdown to a Kiss’ by Piper Rayne

January 3, 2023
Review: ‘Countdown to a Kiss’ by Piper Rayne

Countdown to a Kiss

by Piper Rayne
Series: Hockey Hotties #0.5
Published by Self-Published on April 15, 2021
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 76
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Purchase at Amazon
three-half-stars

Three professional hockey players from the Florida Fury attend a New Year’s Eve party at the team owner’s mansion and spend time with three very different women. As the countdown to midnight begins, each of them is hoping to start the new year off right with a kiss. But if that happens, does it mean they’re destined to see these women again? A sneak peek into Piper Rayne's series, Hockey Hotties!
Reader Note: Story has been expanded since its inclusion in the Jingle Balls Anthology in 2020.


I wanted something quick and fun to read for the start of the New Year. I also wanted to start reading the backlog of books by the authors, Piper Rayne, and Countdown to a Kiss was the perfect novella to start for 2023. It has multiple POVs that introduce readers to the first three hottie hockey stars of Florida Fury, additionally, the women they will fall hard for in their full-length books.  

Storyline/My Thoughts: I enjoyed the sneak peek into the Hockey Hottie series by Piper Rayne and what is expected to come when I find time to read My Lucky #13, The Trouble with #9, and Faking It with #41. The hockey stars introduced are Aiden Drake, Maksim Petrov, and Ford Jacobs. You get a taste of each male character’s POV in the novella. You even get the FMC’s POV, too. It’s going to take a lot of work for all of the hockey stars to win over the FMCs. Since this was an introduction to the series, it was just a tease and will make the reader want more. At least that was what the novella did for me, and now I must read each hockey hotties book. 

There isn’t really any spice, but there is obvious tension between some characters, while others won’t want anything to do with each other. It was a New Year’s Eve party, so there would be kissing, bets being made where someone has to skinny dip, and maybe a drink thrown in someone’s face. 

I give this novella 3.5 stars, and I look forward to diving into each book soon. I’m glad that 2022 introduced me to Piper Rayne’s books because it’s my mission to read all their books now. 

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Hockey Hotties series and is an intro to the series.

Steam/Spice: 🌶

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It’s a quick novella that introduces readers to the Hockey Hottie series. It was right up my alley to start my obsession with more Piper Rayne books.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.


Add Series to Goodreads
Read My Reviews of This Series

About Piper Rayne

Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write "heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle" about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they're married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they're both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram | Pinterest | Bookbub | Facebook Reader Group | Newsletter | TikTok

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
FranJessca
FranJessca
Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
FranJessca
Latest posts by FranJessca (see all)
  • Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Intimate Secret’ by D.C. Stone - May 8, 2025
  • ARC Review: ‘Shield of Sparrows’ by Devney Perry - May 7, 2025
  • ARC Review: ‘Archangel’s Ascension’ by Nalini Singh - May 6, 2025

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Email
3.5 Star ReviewsBook Read 2023Book Reviews 2023Hockey Hotties SeriesHockey Player MMCHockey RomanceNovella in SeriesPiper RayneSports Romance

About the Blogger

About the Blogger

My name is FranJessca. I wear many hats: I'm a Wife, Mom, Navy Veteran, Shy Introvert, Tattooed, Romance and Fantasy Reader, and Book Blogger.

Follow FranJessca

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Bloglovin'
  • Amazon
  • Instagram
  • Goodreads

Currently Reading

Review: ‘Rebel Hawke’ by Gwyn McNamee

Books Reviewed in 2025

A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog has reviewed 53 books this year.

42%

May Reviews

  • Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
  • Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
  • Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh
  • The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson
  • Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

FTC Disclosure/Info

In accordance with the current FTC disclosure rules for bloggers & reviewers, the books you see reviewed on A Book Lovin’ Mama’s Blog are either purchased by me or procured from NetGalley, Edelweiss, directly from the author or publisher or PR company in an exchange for an honest review. I do not receive compensation of any kind for the reviews.

Purchases made through buy links (Amazon specifically) may result in a small commission, which helps support the blog and fund giveaways.

Please review the Policies above on the Menu Bar.

© 2012- 2025 A Book Lovin Mama's Blog, All Rights Reserved.

Site Design by JennJ Designs