Slap Shot Scandal

A Small Town Grumpy Sunshine Hockey Romance (Coastal Crushers)

De: Kara Kendrick

Narrado por: Sean Masters, Emma Wilder

A sexy grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, hockey romance from bestselling author, Kara Kendrick

He’s the grumpy captain with everything to lose. She’s the PR problem he didn’t ask for.

Hockey is my life. Always has been.

As captain of the team, I’ve built my career on discipline, loyalty, and laser focus.

But after a scandal tanks the franchise’s image, the owner relocates us to Driftwood Cove, a small sleepy Florida beach town.

New name, new strategy.

And a bubbly PR consultant hired to clean up the mess.

Harbor Hayes.

She’s sunshine in a bottle. Bright, blonde and opinionated. Worse—she knows hockey. And exactly how to get under my skin.

We clash from day one and I’m torn between wanting her gone and wanting every inch of her body underneath mine.

The longer we work together, the harder it is to pretend she doesn’t affect me.

When lines blur behind closed doors, we make a deal.

Three rules:

No feelings. No falling. No future.

Until one reckless moment leaks in a viral video.

Now I’m not just leading the team–I’m at the center of a brand-new scandal.

One that could destroy everything.

Especially the woman I swore I’d never fall for.

©2025 Kara Kendrick (P)2025 Kara Kendrick

grumpy team captain x sunshine PR consultant

🤍 Hockey captain x PR consultant
🏒 Grumpy x Sunshine
🤍 Workplace Romance
🏒 Enemies to Lovers
🤍 Small Town
🏒 Hockey Romance
🤍 Slow Burn
🏒 Secret relationship

Weston Steele is the team's captain (and also a triplet 🫣) Harbor is the PR consultant hired to smooth over public relations after the team is relocated to Driftwood Cove, Florida. Harbor is out to prove her she's good at her job, but the grumpy team captain isn't making things easy for her. The enemies-to-lovers and grumpy x sunshine tropes always give us the best tension and banter leading up to the 💥, including a media room hookup 🤭🫣

Duet narration by Sean Masters and Emma Wilder.

Fun story, wonderful narration.

A fun listen. Harbor was hired to improve the public presence of the team during a coach firing, a move to a small town, and a swoon-worthy team captain. She was good at her job, intelligent, yet she was afraid of what her father would say or think. Weston wasn't sure about the changes in his life at the moment, but he could not stop thinking about Harbor. He was protective, willing to keep things secret for a bit, but struggled to play his best hockey. With the intimacy of their relationship, he did improve with encouragement from her.
The narration by Emma Wilder and Sean Masters was well done. They brought forth the emotions of the characters and made the story that much more enjoyable.

This is my unsolicited review.

Swoony and fun listen

This was my first read from Kara Kendrick and I loved it! Her latest hockey romance is a perfect mix of heat, heart, and witty banter and tension. A grumpy team captain meets his match with a sunshine PR consultant who is determined to clean up his and the team’s image and ends up driving him crazy in the process in all the best ways. Their enemies to lovers dynamic is filled with banter and slow burn attraction that quickly turns into electric chemistry. The team after a scandal moves to Florida with the end game being a team rebuild, this story is as swoony as it is scandalous, making it a must read for fans of sports and hockey romance.
I listened to the audio and was addicted from start to finish! The narrators, Sean Masters and Emma Wilder, did a great job portraying Weston and Harbor. I am so ready for the next book in this series.

.... a whirlwind of personality.

From a sense of humor to the heart of romance, Slap Shot Scandal is a whirlwind of personality. Fire and ice are brought together by two irresistible forces. Harbor and Weston set off sparks that Masters and Wilder amplify with tempting precision and sweet accuracy. Kendrick shakes up the senses as only she can.

Fun slow burn

The story really packs a good slow burn, but at the same vain with action happens it happens, and it keeps moving. I enjoyed the relationship building, the banter and a nice little hit of spice.

Loved this book!!

This was my first book by Kara Kendrick, and it definitely won’t be my last! Weston and Harbor’s story is absolutely amazing. This grumpy/sunshine romance pulled me in from the very first page and was impossible to put down. The writing is so engaging, and I loved getting to know these characters and their journey together. I’m already excited for the rest of the series! 💙💜

Great hockey romance

Grumpy x sunshine
Hockey romance
Enemies to lovers
Team captain x PR rep

Duet narration - Emma Wilder & Sean Masters
Deliciously narrated.

Harbor is the new team PR person after the team has gone through a major scandal. She is tasks with reforming the teams image. The team is not very open to her ideas, especially the team captain Weston.

Weston the team captain is determined to have a good year, win the cup and not fall for the new PR rep Harbor.

The tension between these two is palpable. The narrators did a fabulous job giving true emotion and life to this story!

Weston & Harbor

This was my first by Kara Kendrick and I really enjoyed the storytelling. I was hooked from the first chapter and finished this in almost one sitting.

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔: Weston & Harbor
𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆: Coastal Crushers

Weston is the captain for the hockey team and when his team is suddenly moved to Driftwood Cove he isn’t really sure how this is going to go down. Enter Harbor, the PR consultant who was hired to help the team and its image after a scandal forced their relocation. Initially, Weston wasn’t happy with Harbor but their chemistry was hard to ignore. The problem is, the team didn’t need any more scandals. Would they be able to find a way to be together without causing more drama for the team.

What really made this one shine for me was the audio. The narrators brought so much personality and emotion to Weston and Harbor. Every blush, every smirk, every heated argument and all the banter, all came alive in my ears.

Weston the grump

Harbor and Weston when he finds out who she is why she is there the gloves are off and he fights her every step of tbe way. They clash for a bit then tension breaks and they get down and dirty. Things get complicated but weston the grump is a different guy bc of her.
Narrating by Sean Masters was great Emma Wilder takes getting used to for me. However, I did enjoy the audio overall.

A sexy, addictive grumpy/sunshine romance

Slap Shot Scandal is everything you want in a hockey romance grumpy/sunshine banter, sizzling tension, and the kind of slow-burn chemistry that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Kara Kendrick takes the classic enemies-to-lovers setup and layers it with small-town charm, professional stakes, and undeniable attraction. It’s sharp, sexy, and filled with just enough scandal to keep things deliciously messy.

Weston is the grumpy hero: disciplined, guarded, and carrying the weight of his team on his shoulders. Yet beneath the tough exterior is a man capable of swoony devotion, dirty talk, and the kind of possessiveness that makes him impossible to resist. Harbor, on the other hand, is bright, bold, and whip-smart the PR consultant who refuses to back down from Weston’s brooding walls. Together, they spark, clash, and ultimately combust in a romance. Kara Kendrick builds their dynamic with care, keeping the tension tight until the payoff feels worth every moment of the wait.

The Story
Weston Reed, captain of a scandal-ridden hockey team, has built his reputation on focus and loyalty. But when the franchise is relocated to a sleepy Florida beach town, he’s paired with Harbor Hayes, a sunshine-filled PR consultant tasked with saving the team’s image. From the start, Weston and Harbor clash his broody discipline against her bold optimism but the attraction simmering between them is undeniable. Their deal is simple: no feelings, no falling, no future. Of course, rules were made to be broken. When a reckless moment between them leaks online, Weston finds himself at the center of a new scandal, one that threatens not just his career, but the woman he swore he’d never fall for.

What I Loved
✔️ The delicious grumpy x sunshine tension between Weston and Harbor.
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers banter that sizzles and feels authentic.
✔️ Weston’s protective, possessive side complete with dirty talk and swoony devotion.
✔️ Harbor’s strength, smarts, and refusal to be overshadowed.
✔️ A well-paced story with strong buildup, even if I was craving the payoff by the 75% mark. (Thankfully, the final act delivers!)
✔️ The intriguing setup for Weston’s brothers this triplet dynamic promises even more fun in future books.

🎧 Narration
Narrated by Sean Masters and Emma Wilder. Sean, as always, was phenomenal perfectly capturing Weston’s gruff intensity and emotional vulnerability. Emma, while vibrant and engaging, sometimes had pacing that felt off in the beginning, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. Still, as the book progressed, their combined performance brought Weston and Harbor’s push-pull chemistry to life, especially in the heated, intimate moments.

Tropes & Vibes
Hockey Romance 🏒
Grumpy x Sunshine
Workplace Romance
Enemies to Lovers
Small Town Setting
Slow Burn with a Fiery Payoff
Dirty Talk & Praise (“Good girl,” “Say you’re mine”)

Final Thoughts
Slap Shot Scandal is a sexy, addictive grumpy/sunshine romance that blends hockey heat with emotional payoff. Kara Kendrick gives us a hero who’s as frustrating as he is swoon-worthy, and a heroine who meets him beat for beat with fire and determination. Their banter, chemistry, and eventual surrender to each other make for a story that’s impossible to put down.

This is my first Kara Kendrick book, but definitely not my last I’m already eager for Weston’s brothers’ stories. If you love hockey romance with a side of scandal, heat, and heartfelt moments, this one deserves a spot on your TBR.