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Verdict: A promising debut: a slow-burn workplace rivals romance between a passed-over ad creative and her new nonbinary boss, who also happens to play for the opposing rec hockey team. Readers praise the representation and humour, but head-hopping POV, extra length and a heroine many found too hostile hold it back.
Best for: Readers who want nonbinary representation, office rivals with a sporty edge, and a slow build.
Heat level: Not rated (no romance.io rating; readers describe moderate spice)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.6/5 — a 3.99 Goodreads average across 131 ratings and 3.57 on StoryGraph from 16 reviews)
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, workplace rivals, boss/employee, nonbinary lead, amateur hockey, slow burn, office conspiracy, series starter.
I See Red is JD Locke’s 2025 debut and the first book in the We Belong series, a contemporary sapphic romance. Alex Sharpe moves back to Los Angeles after seventeen years in New York to join their father’s advertising agency. Cassie Jenkins has spent a decade earning the job Alex just got — and may have high-sticked Alex in a hockey game the week before.
It holds a 3.99 average across 131 Goodreads ratings, with 75% of them four or five stars, 3.57 on StoryGraph from 16 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 155 Amazon ratings.
What Is I See Red About?
Fresh off a breakup, Alex is ready to leave New York behind. When a slot opens at the LA office of The Sharpe Agency, they take it — though they have earned every step of their career without using the family name or money. The plan is to work hard, stay focused and rebuild while crashing with their baby sister.
They did not plan on a beautiful redhead with a killer slapshot and a grudge. Cassie has worked too hard to watch a New York transplant waltz into the Senior Creative Director role, especially while living alone in a house that is falling apart. And when signs emerge that someone has been quietly undermining the LA office for years, loyalties are tested for both of them.
What Makes This Romance Work
- Nonbinary representation: Readers, including a nonbinary reviewer, say Alex’s identity is handled with care and is integral rather than tokenistic.
- Alex: Calm, intelligent and sensitive — the lead most readers love.
- Humour and side characters: Kellan’s banter and mischief are a highlight, and readers want Kellan and Tricia to get their own book.
- Slow burn: Fans say the relationship develops organically, without jumping ahead.
- Hockey: Amateur rink rivalry adds a physical, playful edge to the office war.
Book Synopsis
Fresh off a breakup, Alex Sharpe is finally ready to move home. A slot at the LA office of The Sharpe Agency — the advertising firm owned by their father — is exactly what they need after seventeen years in New York. The plan: work hard, stay focused, and rebuild.
Cassie Jenkins has spent a decade earning the Senior Creative Director role, and she is not about to watch some nepo baby take it — especially not the absurdly hot nonbinary forward from the opposing hockey team she may or may not have high-sticked last week. When signs emerge that someone has been quietly undermining the office, both must decide how far they will go to set things right.
My Review
The premise is a great one, and the early chapters deliver it: two people click at the rink, then discover they are on opposite sides at work. Alex is a gentle, principled lead who works to make things right, and there is a satisfying thread about them standing up to a controlling father. Readers who loved it call it funny, honest and full of good character building, with a slow burn that pays off.
The problems are those of a debut. Several readers struggled with rapidly shifting POV, sometimes paragraph to paragraph, and one did not finish because of it. Others felt it could lose 80 to 100 pages, that the chemistry faded once the office drama took over, and that the sabotage subplot amounted to very little. The biggest complaint is Cassie: two 1-star reviewers found her hostile and combative towards Alex for too long, and questioned why Alex never pushes back. Even fans admit she aggravated them at times.
My honest note: If you love Alex, you may forgive the rest. If an angry heroine grates on you, this will be a slog.
| Element | In I See Red |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Alex Sharpe (nonbinary creative director) & Cassie Jenkins (ad creative) |
| Core tropes | Enemies to lovers, workplace rivals, amateur hockey, slow burn |
| Setting | Los Angeles — an advertising agency and a rec hockey league |
| Heat level | Not formally rated — moderate spice per readers |
| Length | 390 pages |
| Series | We Belong #1 |
| Content notes | Workplace hostility, on-ice aggression, a controlling parent, recent breakups |
How Spicy Is I See Red?
There is no romance.io rating. Readers describe a slow burn with spice that is “on point” or “just enough heat to keep one warm,” and one gave it two flames out of five.
StoryGraph has no content warnings yet. Readers mention Cassie’s aggression at work and on the ice, and Alex’s controlling father.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a nonbinary lead, a slow-burn rivals romance and a bit of hockey. It is on our sapphic hockey romance list.
You may want to skip it if: head-hopping POV bothers you, or you dislike a heroine who stays angry for a long stretch.
In short: A heartfelt, uneven debut with a lead worth rooting for.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
This is a 2025 indie debut, and a web search surfaced no Reddit threads. On Goodreads the split is 40% five stars, 35% four, 12% three, 7% two and 4% one. On StoryGraph, 80% of readers who answered tag it lighthearted and 60% funny. It is on Kindle Unlimited. We could not find an audiobook.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The nonbinary representation first. Second, Alex. Third, the humour and side characters. Fourth, the slow burn.
What readers argue about and complain about: Cassie’s hostility, above everything. Second, confusing POV switches. Third, length. Fourth, a thin sabotage subplot.
The comparison worth making first: For another nonbinary hockey lead, try A Gold Medal in Love, which is far steamier. For rivals on the ice with more hockey, Playmaker is the one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is I See Red enemies to lovers?
Yes. Alex and Cassie hit it off at a rec hockey game, then Cassie discovers Alex is the boss who got the promotion she had worked a decade for. Her anger drives much of the book.
Is the main character in I See Red nonbinary?
Yes. Alex Sharpe is nonbinary, and several reviewers — including a nonbinary reader — praise the representation as careful and integral to the story.
How spicy is I See Red?
We could not find a romance.io rating. Readers call it a slow burn with spice that is “on point” or “just enough”; one rated it two flames out of five.
Is I See Red on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, at the time of writing the Kindle edition is available on Kindle Unlimited. We could not find an audiobook.
Is there much hockey in I See Red?
Some. Both leads play amateur hockey on rival teams, but the blurb promises romance “with a side of hockey,” and most of the story happens at the agency.
If You Loved I See Red, Read These Next
Try A Gold Medal in Love for a nonbinary hockey star, Playmaker for pro-league rivals, or Checking for Love for rival players forced to room together. For more, browse our sapphic hockey romance list, the sapphic sports romance hub, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
I See Red sets out to be a funny, slow-burn rivals romance with a nonbinary lead and a side of hockey, and its fans say it delivers warmth and representation that matter. What holds it back is a messy POV, extra length and a heroine whose anger lasts too long for many readers. If the premise appeals, it is worth trying on Kindle Unlimited. Check I See Red on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, I See Red ranks as a promising but uneven debut — strong on heart and representation, weaker on craft.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ 3.99 average across 131 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 75% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.57 on StoryGraph from 16 reviews
- ✓ 4.2 stars across 155 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Great premise
- ✓ Chemistry fades mid-book for some
- ✓ Unhealthy dynamic for some
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Alex beloved
- ✓ Nonbinary rep praised
- ✓ Cassie divisive
- ✓ Kellan a favourite
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Humour
- ✓ Head-hopping POV
- ✓ Could lose 80–100 pages
- ✓ Editing issues
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Lighthearted
- ✓ Family tension
- ✓ Workplace injustice
- ✓ Honest, per fans
Heat Level — not rated
- ✓ No romance.io rating
- ✓ Spice “on point” for one
- ✓ Two flames for another
- ✓ Slow burn
Ending — not rated
- ✓ Not verified in sources we read
- ✓ Alex stands up to their father
- ✓ Series continues
- ✓ Readers want a Kellan book
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ No audiobook found
- ✓ 390 pages
- ✓ Series to follow
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