Gender-bent TED LASSO meets THE DEAL in a new grumpy/sunshine hockey romance from bestselling author Livy Hart.

When a career-ending injury forces hockey superstar Sadie Rivers to hang up her skates, she never expects to be the NHL’s first female coach. The Portland Fury are the league’s worst team—and Sadie has one season to turn the franchise around. Critics of her “soft touch” coaching style make no secret of their skepticism, but Sadie has never bucked a challenge, on or off the ice.

Defenseman Leo McLaren is hockey royalty. Or he was, until a dirty hit last season left him with a shoulder injury and migraines that have destroyed his game. When he’s traded to the Fury, it feels like the end of his hockey dreams. That is, until the new head coach names him captain—and asks for his help getting to know the team, who resist her personal approach.

Secret coach-captain meet-ups lead to a tentative friendship that quickly turns into sizzling chemistry hot enough to melt a hockey rink. But with the season and both their careers on the line, Sadie and Leo will have to decide if love is a risk worth taking when the game they’re playing demands all they have to give.

Perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Emily Rath, DIRTY HIT is an emotional, super-spicy sports romance and the start of the Portland Fury series!