Just Breaking the Rules

Hockey Ever After, Book 1

De: Lauren Blakely

Narrado por: Samantha Brentmoor, Teddy Hamilton

Performed in duet by Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton!

Everyone knows the golden rule of business—don’t bang your business partner.

Especially if he’s your brother’s hot-as-sin, hockey-star best friend.

But when the sexy single dad athlete saves me from a cake contest catastrophe—and shows me how good he is with his hands—I blurt out the world’s worst business pitch: Want to invest in my bakery?

With no loan or backup plan, this is my last shot at proving I’m more than my past mistakes, and shockingly, he says yes.

We set one rule: don’t mix business with pleasure.

Except Corbin Knight’s impossible to resist.

When he’s not scoring goals, he’s staying up late with me to test tempting recipes.

Braiding my hair before we bake like it’s foreplay.

Giving me his jersey to wear to games.

I try to keep a professional distance from the bossy, possessive and dangerously flirty hockey player, but soon we’re testing the limits of the kitchen counter.

This bakery is my chance to finally get my life right, so I fight the messy feelings.

Until one night, he shows up after closing and admits he can’t stop thinking about me.

Suddenly I’m ready to break every rule—no matter the cost to our dreams.

And breaking the rules has never tasted so good.

This exclusive special edition audiobook includes a cameo by James Joseph and a full reel of bloopers!

This is Corbin and Mabel's romance. Tropes include: Brother's best friend, single dad, workplace romance, hockey, the one who got away, love letters.

©2025 Lauren Blakely Books (P)2025 Lauren Blakely Books

A must listen for Lauren Blakely fans!

This is one of my favorite books I’ve listened to by Lauren Blakely. There is so much great banter and lots of sweet moments in the story. Samantha and Teddy were absolute perfection and had the best chemistry. I highly recommend this book!! Can’t wait for the next one in this series!

Best narrators ever

This is a cute hockey romance that fully commits to the trope buffet: forbidden romance, brother’s best friend, workplace tension, fake dating, small town, manic pixie dream girl, wearing his jersey, opening a bakery, fostering dogs, love letters from grandparents, plus grief and a single dad hero. Somehow it still works because the characters kept me invested. Corbin is the ultimate cinnamon roll, all devotion and yearning, and I liked watching Mabel settle into being herself.

Now the audiobook: Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton are rock stars and absolutely elevate this story. Their chemistry, comedic timing, and emotional delivery make everything smoother and more fun, and the bloopers at the end are pure joy. On the page this would’ve been a solid three for me, but in audio it’s an easy four. 🎧💛

Another great one from Lauren

Warning: Just Breaking the Rules by Lauren Blakely is bad for your diet! That didn’t stop me from loving every minute of listening to it, though. I’m not going to lie, I may have ended up trying potato chip chocolate chip cookies because of this book. Just Breaking the Rules is the first in a new hockey series (that I think features single dads?) called Hockey Ever After. When it comes to Lauren’s books, I always listen to the audio. She writes with narrators in mind, and this duet performance made a great book even better.

Mabel is a bit of a hot mess. She’s a fantastic baker, but things never seem to go her way. She has always dreamed of owning a bakery, so she enters a baking contest in the hopes of winning enough money to finance that dream. Her cake is absolutely perfect… until a mishap turns it into a smash cake. Corbin Knight, her brother’s best friend and a sexy-as-sin pro hockey player who loves to bake, is there and helps rescue her from further embarrassment.

"Mabel, have I not made myself clear? I was taken with you the first timeI met you. And I'm not missing my chance this time around. Even if we have to break the rules."

Corbin has a lot on his plate. He plays pro hockey and is a single dad. He dreams of owning a bakery and making his late mother’s recipes after he retires from the sport. But when Mabel suddenly has the perfect opportunity right now, she convinces Corbin to partner with her and open a bakery together. And let’s just say the bakery isn’t the only thing opening, if you know what I mean.

“I don’t want to stop touching her, and this is a problem. A problem I like far too much.”

The banter is fantastic and the chemistry leaps off the page. Just Breaking the Rules is an easy, feel-good read, but Lauren’s books are always a step above. They’re just a little smarter and sexier, and there are always adorable rescued or foster pets.

Before I can get a word in, though, he arches a brow and leans closer. “Is that a new sport for you?”
“Is what?”
“Mocking me?”
“New? Please. I’ve been playing it for a while.”
“I think you took it to a new level today,” he counters.
I blow on my fingernails. “What can I say? I’m good at baking and teasing.”

I loved how the couple tried to keep things strictly business even when they clearly could not resist each other. I wouldn’t be able to resist this sexy and sweet baking girl-dad either.

“I meant everything I said earlier. How much I think about you, it’s ridiculous. But I’ve got to do a better job at resisting you.”

Corbin’s daughter completely stole my heart, and the ancient firehouse love letters added one more romantic layer to an already delightful story. Corbin is colorblind, and I love the way Mabel was his eyes.

Likes:
•Lauren's books just always make me happy. There is no unnecessary drama.
•The perfect amount of sexy time and it's never cringe.
•Amazing chemistry from the start.
•He is an amazing girl-dad, even French braiding hair.
•He was colorblind and I loved how she described the colors.
•Cute fosters and rescues.
•I loved the addition of the love letters.
•The bloopers at the end (Samantha's giggles are amazing).

Dislikes:
•This book was BAD for my diet!
•As much as I loved it, it won't stick with me as being memorable.

The Narration:
Lauren Blakely is a must-listen author for me. Her audiobooks have landed on my favorites lists every year since 2016, and she’s one of only a handful of authors where I automatically listen to every release. Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmoor are one of my all-time favorite narrator pairings, and when Lauren writes characters with them in mind, it makes the audiobook even more immersive and addictive. Make sure you stay till the end, after the preview, for bloopers!

The Down & Dirty:
How does Lauren Blakely release so many books when every single one hits for me? Just Breaking the Rules floats right to the top with a fun, sexy, engaging, and ridiculously entertaining listen that balances sweetness, spice, and humor in all the right ways. Add in baking competitions, a swoony single dad, and nonstop chemistry, and I was completely in. If this is how the Hockey Ever After series is starting, I am absolutely ready for the rest because I have a feeling it’s only going to get better from here.

Rating 4.5 Stars, 3 Heat, 5 Narration

Hot and fresh out of the oven!!

This book has all the ingredients for perfect love story!

Take one part heroine, trying to find her way in the baking world… Add one one part awful ex… sprinkle in a cake competition, where your brother’s best friend comes to your rescue… a pinch of sarcasm and spice… Combine all these ingredients , set the spice meter to high and bake to get the most delicious recipe of friends to lovers set in a small town!!! And for good measure… serve the treats in a Starwberry cookie jar .. #iykyk

“Just breaking the rules” by Lauren Blakely is a fresh and spicy romance that once I started, I couldn’t stop… and Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmore are the perfect narrators and the live recording in duet really adds to the narration! Just like the best desserts this story will leave you wanting one more bite!!!

Loved the duet!

The duet was great! Loved the characters! It was a little slow to start, but I enjoyed the story.