There are two sacred rules in the Montagalo household:
1. Family comes first.
2. Don’t date my brother’s teammates.
Of course I went and broke both…
It started with a little banter on a dating app. A teeny, tiny secret: Flirty messages with Luca Babineaux, the sweet, charming—and stupidly attractive forward on the Houston Baddies—who makes sweat and bruises look so f’ing hot. One spark turns into a secret first date. A few kisses become way more.
Now I’m tangled in a full-blown secret romance and every time Gio walks into the room, I have a full-blown anxiety attack.
Dating in secret? Thrilling.
Lying to my brother? Exhausting.
Falling for Luca Babineaux obviously wasn’t part of the game plan. It never is, is it?
He wants to go public with our relationship. I’d rather not.
Now I have to decide what matters more: keeping my promises to my dumb, overprotective brother…or choose myself for once.
All’s fair in love and hockey. Right?
| Title: | Can’t Always Get What You Want |
| Author: | Sara Ney |
| Series: | Houston Baddies Hockey Book 2 |
| Pages: | 408 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Sports Romance Secret Relationship |
| Point of View: | First Person, Present Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
| Location: | Houston, Texas, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 2 June, 2025 |
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Another sass-filled winner
We’re back with the Houston Baddies Ice Hockey team to see Nova Montagalo – twin sister of hot-shot goalie, and hero of Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Gio – get her own happily ever after with sweet and solid forward, Luca Babineaux. Nova appeared in the first book in the series while Luca was just mentioned – but this story stands completely alone from the first and you don’t need to have read that one to love and understand this one.
Nova is the poster child for my favourite kind of Sara Ney heroine. She’s ridiculously sassy, feisty, independent and fierce. I absolutely adored her. But underneath that, she’s just as vulnerable as everyone else. And I think I liked that part of her even more. My heart hurt for her and her life’s wish of not just being seen, but being chosen. If there was ever something I could identify with – it was that.
Unfortunately, one thing I can’t personally identify with, is having the hot, sweet and sexy Luca in my corner. He’s always had a crush on Nova and when the door is opened a crack, he pushes it all the way open. He was a total unicorn. I’m not sure men like him actually exist in real life, sadly. He loved every single bit of Nova – even the bits that she tried to hide. He knew her. And he chose her. Gah – I almost couldn’t with him.
“…the whole book is chock full of smart and cheeky banter.”
While Nova might be the sassy one, the whole book is chock full of smart and cheeky banter. The back and forth between Luca and Nova was absolutely epic – giving me even more belief that they were perfect for each other. But it wasn’t just them – the fight between Gio and Luca has to be one of the funniest things I’ve read in a good long while.
But as well as the bants, we get bucket loads of chemistry. Or maybe part of the chemistry is because of that. Or vice versa. Either way, Nova and Luca are made for each other. They know how to push each other’s buttons both in and out of the bedroom. But in the bedroom is especially and exceptionally hot. I’m here for it.
The story is fairly simple – couple engage in relationship while keeping it a secret from his teammate who also happens to be her twin brother. But it’s so well written that you’ll find yourself ridiculously absorbed in their lives and what happens to them, all while really rooting for them to get together. It’s another Sara Ney book that I loved and if you like your books with a pinch of sass then I would highly recommend it to you.
* I received this book in exchange for my honest review.*
Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
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