[ad/gifted - I received an eARC copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]
Title & Author: Hat Trick by Chelsea Curto
My rating: 5/5
Publication date: 27th May 2025
Blurb:
Riley Mitchell has everything he could ever want.
He’s a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion. He has great friends, a fun life, and he’s living out his dream of playing hockey in the NHL.
Except one night, everything changes.
After a car accident leaves him with an amputated right leg, he struggles with his identity. Who is he away from the ice? How is he supposed to live without the sport that means everything to him?
Enter Lexi Armstrong, the DC Stars athletic trainer assigned to Riley’s rehabilitation.
Independent, proudly single, and a sarcastic ray of sunshine, she’s determined to help Riley feel better not just physically, but mentally too.
And the friends with benefits arrangement they fall into?
Definitely not part of the rehabilitation plan.
It was supposed to be one night, but when just once turns into something much deeper than a romp in the bedroom, they have a decision to make.
Do they fight their feelings and keep things purely physical? Or can they pull off a Hat Trick and find something that lasts forever?
Review:
I rave about Chelsea Curto's books so much (and I know I have convinced so many people to read them - thank you to everyone who comes to me to say they loved them too off the back of my recommendation!) but I fear my words can't accurately describe just how passionate I am about each and every one.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Face Off, the first in the D.C. Stars series and instantly fell in love. I knew I'd found a new favourite author just from that one book. I then went and binged the entire Love Through A Lens series which I loved just as much. I received ARCs of Power Play, Slap Shot and now Hat Trick and each time I felt like I was going back to a friendship group that I was a part of.
Curto's writing is beautiful and second to none. She always has a real focus on women in sports, women doing well in positions that men don't have to work as hard in and, yes, while we have probably some of the best spicy scenes I have ever read, each book has some form of emotional moment.
Hat Trick was 100% the most emotional of the lot. I was looking forward to Riley's book and I knew it would break my heart, but Curto just managed to put it right back together again.
Riley, one of the defensemen for the D.C. Stars is in an accident and has to undergo an above knee amputation. Being an ice hockey player, this is life-changing for him. Lexi, the team's head athletic trainer is determined to not only aid his rehabilitation to the best of her ability, but to get him back on the ice.
The accident and amputation happens quite early on in the book and by 9% of the way in, I'd already almost cried three times. The way that Riley's emotions following his amputation are written is absolutely perfect. I felt his anguish and anger so vividly as well as his ups and downs throughout the entire book. It felt real.
You can tell that so much research and thought has gone into this book with regards to life as an amputee, rehabilitation in a sports setting following a life-changing incident and the use of prosthetics.
Watching Lexi and Riley's relationship develop was beautiful and you get the sense that they really needed each other. Being back with this group (especially the group chat texts - they are always my favourite parts!) and getting little updates on what they are up to in the current timeline is a nice little extra.
Chelsea, bring on the next one!
