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Verdict: A cosy, Hallmark-style small-town Christmas romance between a masc Olympic hockey star and the best friend’s older sister she crushed on as a teen — sweeter and better liked than Puck Struck #1, with real heat, though exhausting families, some instalove and almost no hockey keep it from standing out.
Best for: Readers who want a sapphic holiday romance with a butch/femme dynamic, a childhood crush and a festive town contest.
Heat level: 4/5 (romance.io: explicit open door, 18 ratings)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.6/5 — a 3.69 Goodreads average across 1,232 ratings, 3.73 on StoryGraph from 652 reviews, and 4.3 stars across 130 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Best friend’s older sister, teenage crush, small town, holiday contest, bi awakening (newly divorced heroine), butch/femme, return to hometown, series (Puck Struck #2).
Yours for the Season is Kate Cochrane’s 2025 contemporary lesbian romance from Carina Adores. Olympic gold medallist JT Cox comes home to Hart’s Landing, New Hampshire, for the holidays — a town that now has her name on its welcome sign but never quite accepted her. There she reconnects with newly divorced Ali Porter, her best friend’s older sister and her first crush.
It holds a 3.69 average across 1,232 Goodreads ratings, with 61% of them four or five stars, 3.73 on StoryGraph from 652 reviews, and 4.3 stars across 130 Amazon ratings.
What Is Yours for the Season About?
JT played on the boys’ team, came out young and was bullied for it; her artistic family still treats her as the odd one out. Ali has been with the same man since high school and, single for the first time, is ready to live on her own terms — including dating a woman for the first time.
They team up for the town’s couples holiday contest — cocoa tasting, gingerbread, snowmen — and the chemistry is immediate. But JT cannot see herself living in Hart’s Landing, Ali has just bought a house there, and Ali’s mother is scheming to reunite her with her ex.
What Works in This Holiday Romance
- The crush payoff: Readers love the long-held teenage crush finally reciprocated.
- Masc/femme dynamic: JT’s golden-retriever energy and Ali as the one in charge are a favourite.
- Visible queerness: One reader appreciated how being a visibly queer masc woman in a small town is discussed.
- Family growth: JT standing up to her parents, and them eventually listening, moved several readers.
- Cosy setting: 87% of StoryGraph readers tagged it lighthearted; 88% found the characters loveable.
Book Synopsis
JT Cox never fit into Hart’s Landing. Now an Olympic gold medal has put her name on a sign at the edge of town, even if her family still treats her as the odd duck. The warmest welcome comes from Ali Porter, her best friend’s newly divorced older sister.
When they team up for the town’s holiday contest, cocoa and gingerbread give way to real chemistry. But JT does not want to stay, Ali does not want to leave, and Ali’s mother wants her back with her ex. It could be a bittersweet holiday — or the start of something.
My Review
This is a warmer, easier book than Wake Up, Nat & Darcy, and several readers who struggled with book one say they liked it more. The romance is the draw: an older-sister crush turned adult connection, with both women supporting each other through family pressure and new beginnings, plus a genuinely sexy streak — readers enjoyed the femme topping the masc.
The criticisms repeat, though. The families are the most common complaint — insufferable, unbelievable, or both, especially Ali’s mother pushing her ex. Several readers found the romance too instalove, with confessions after about a week. Communication breaks down repeatedly, some conversations happen twice, and the town contest strains belief. And despite the Puck Struck branding, JT barely touches the ice.
My honest note: A pleasant holiday read if you want cosy and spicy; do not come for hockey.
| Element | In Yours for the Season |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | JT Cox (Olympic hockey gold medallist, masc) & Ali Porter (newly divorced, bisexual, best friend’s older sister) |
| Core tropes | Best friend’s sister, teenage crush, small town, holiday contest |
| Setting | Hart’s Landing, New Hampshire, at Christmas |
| Heat level | 4/5 on romance.io — explicit open door |
| Length | 336 pages; audiobook narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker |
| Series | Puck Struck #2 — standalone, HEA with epilogue |
| Content notes | Queerphobia, past bullying, family rejection, divorce |
How Spicy Is Yours for the Season?
Romance.io rates it 4 of 5, “explicit open door,” from 18 ratings. One reader counts four spicy scenes, and several call it really sexy — more than the cosy cover suggests.
Romance.io readers flag queerphobia. JT was bullied as a teenager, including by adults at her games, and her parents’ distance is a major thread.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a spicy, cosy sapphic Christmas romance with a masc lead. It is on our sapphic hockey romance list.
You may want to skip it if: overbearing families or instalove frustrate you, or you want actual hockey.
In short: Hallmark with heat — cute, festive and flawed.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 18% five stars, 43% four, 29% three, 6% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 87% tag it lighthearted and 53% funny. The Harlequin audiobook is narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker; one listener wished for two narrators.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The crush-to-lovers romance first. Second, the masc/femme dynamic. Third, the holiday atmosphere. Fourth, JT’s growth with her family.
What readers argue about and complain about: The families, above everything. Second, instalove. Third, poor communication and repetition. Fourth, no hockey.
The comparison worth making first: For the first Puck Struck book, try Wake Up, Nat & Darcy. For another sapphic Christmas romance, try Christmas With Her.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to read Wake Up, Nat & Darcy first?
No. JT appears in the first Puck Struck book, but readers say this one stands alone — and several liked it more than book one.
How spicy is Yours for the Season?
Open door. Romance.io rates it 4 of 5, “explicit open door,” from 18 ratings, and one reader counts four spicy scenes.
Is there much hockey in Yours for the Season?
Very little. JT is an Olympic gold medallist home for the holidays; the hockey on page is mostly her with local kids. At least one reader was annoyed she never plays.
Does Yours for the Season have a happy ending?
Yes — a happily ever after with an epilogue nine months later. Readers describe the central conflict as fairly minor and resolved quickly.
Is Yours for the Season on Kindle Unlimited?
Not at the time of writing — the Carina Adores Kindle edition was listed at $9.99. The audiobook is narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker.
If You Loved Yours for the Season, Read These Next
Try Wake Up, Nat & Darcy for more Puck Struck, Christmas With Her for another holiday romance, or Unexpected Goals for a gentle hockey romance. For more, browse our sapphic hockey romance list, our sapphic sports romance hub, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Yours for the Season sets out to be a cosy, sexy small-town Christmas romance, and it mostly is. What holds it back is family drama that grates and a romance that moves very fast. Worth it for a festive read. Check Yours for the Season on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Yours for the Season ranks as a good holiday romance — cosy and spicy, not memorable.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ 3.69 average across 1,232 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 61% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.73 on StoryGraph from 652 reviews
- ✓ 4.3 stars across 130 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Teenage crush payoff
- ✓ Masc/femme chemistry
- ✓ Instalove for some
- ✓ Minor conflict
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ 88% found them loveable
- ✓ JT golden retriever energy
- ✓ Insufferable families
- ✓ JT childish at times
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Easy, quick read
- ✓ Repetitive conversations
- ✓ Timeline slips
- ✓ Awkward sentences for one
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Tagged lighthearted by 87%
- ✓ Family healing
- ✓ Hit hard for some
- ✓ Low stakes
Heat Level ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Romance.io 4/5, explicit open door
- ✓ 18 heat ratings
- ✓ About four spicy scenes
- ✓ Femme tops masc
Ending ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Epilogue nine months later
- ✓ No third-act breakup
- ✓ Quick resolution
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Seasonal reread
- ✓ Audiobook available
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
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