Mood Swings and Hockey Flings (Hot Flash Hookups Series) by Sylvie Stewart and Marika Ray – Review by Maisie Dickinson

Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mood Swings & Hockey Flings is the second installment of Marika Ray and Sylvie Stewart’s Hot Flash Hookups series. It follows Kaitlyn, hockey agent at the height of her career who, at the age of forty, is starting to think about starting a family, and Banks, hockey player who isn’t ready to retire at thirty-eight. I read a lot of hockey romances, but it was really refreshing seeing a woman of colour lead, and the leads being in their late thirties rather than early twenties. I think the authors handled the balance between having a career and starting a family really well, because I don’t think women should have to sacrifice one for the other. I also think they handled a woman nearing menopause really well, because women tend to feel old once they start thinking about menopause, but Kaitlyn is still confident and she still feels attractive, despite her mood swings or weight gain or fatigue. I did think, at the beginning, that Banks’ behaviour was immature for someone his age, but the more I read the more I changed my mind. My favourite character was Kaitlyn and my least favourite character was Ed. I recommend this book, mainly because it’s so refreshing to see an Asian female lead and a romance between two people in their late thirties. I also appreciate how the romance didn’t lead to anyone sacrificing any other important parts of their lives. ‘So much so that I might have been half in love with her by the time we said our goodbyes.’

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