👤 Characters

Remi — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Remi is the standout. He’s an extroverted, quirky professional hockey goalie with major golden-retriever energy and an adorable marshmallow obsession. His tendency to blurt out whatever is in his head makes him funny without making him feel artificial. Multiple readers specifically singled him out as the highlight.

Bailey — ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Bailey is his perfect opposite: an introverted tattoo artist who prefers staying home and initially comes across as grumpy. What makes him work is that his quiet nature isn’t treated as something that needs fixing. He genuinely appreciates Remi’s personality.

Together: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
They’re a classic sunshine + reserved/homebody pairing, but the relationship feels especially appealing because Bailey doesn’t try to tone Remi down.

💕 Romance/Chemistry Analysis

This is definitely the book’s strongest element.

Their chemistry comes from contrast rather than conflict. Remi brings Bailey out of his shell, while Bailey gives Remi a calm, accepting place to be himself. Reviewers repeatedly described them as extremely sweet and well matched.

I especially like that the story doesn’t rely heavily on miscommunication or unnecessary drama. Bailey is attracted to Remi’s quirks rather than merely tolerating them.

Chemistry: 5/5 ❤️

The one limitation is the novella length: the relationship develops quickly, so readers wanting a slow-burn romance may feel they didn’t get enough time with them.

🌷 Tropes

• 🏒 Professional hockey player × tattoo artist
• ☀️ Golden retriever × black cat
• 💕 Grumpy/sunshine
• 🎭 Fake dating / fake boyfriend
• 🏠 Homebody × extrovert
• ✨ Opposites attract
• 💘 Quick-burn romance
• 📱 Dating-app setup
• 🌈 MM romance
• 🍡 Marshmallow obsession
• 🤝 Connected characters/crossover with Catch Me Again

The fake-date premise comes from Remi wanting a plus-one for a hockey charity event rather than participating in the bachelor auction. Bailey agrees, and things naturally progress from there.

🌶️ Spice/Content Guide

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

There is on-page sexual content, but the story’s main focus is still the romance and sweetness rather than erotica. One reader specifically rated the spice around 3/5.

Angst: 🥺½ / 5
Very low angst.

Emotional intensity: 💗💗💗 / 5
More warm and feel-good than emotionally devastating.

Content considerations: sexual content and some sexual harassment/ unwanted touching are mentioned in reader content guides.

✍️ Pacing & Writing

Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story moves quickly, which works well for a novella but also creates its biggest weakness.

The writing is light, funny, quirky and easy to read, with Remi’s chaotic internal thoughts providing much of the humor. Readers have described it as fluffy, adorable and funny.

My main criticism isn’t that the pacing is bad—it’s that there isn’t enough story.

Several readers essentially said: I wanted this to be a full-length novel.

💌 Ending — Spoiler-Free

Satisfying: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

The ending gives you the feel-good romantic payoff you’re looking for. It doesn’t leave the central romance feeling unresolved.

However, because it’s a short story, don’t expect an enormous epilogue or pages and pages showing their future together.

Verdict: Happy and satisfying, but you’ll probably finish thinking:

“Wait… that’s it? I want MORE of them!” 😂

That reaction is actually very common among readers.

📚 Who Should Read It?

Read it if you enjoy:

• 💕 Very sweet MM romance
• ☀️ Golden-retriever heroes
• 🐈 Introverted/black-cat love interests
• 🏒 Hockey romance
• 🎭 Fake dating
• 🌶️ Moderate spice
• 😂 Humor and quirky characters
• 🥰 Low-angst romances
• 📖 Short, easy reads
• Characters who genuinely adore each other’s personalities

Especially recommended if you like romances where the sunshine MC is told he’s “too much,” only to find someone who thinks he’s exactly right.

🚫 Who Might Not Enjoy It?

You may want to skip it if you prefer:

• Slow-burn romance
• Lots of external conflict
• High angst
• Complex plots
• Long character development arcs
• Dark or emotionally intense romance
• Very detailed world-building
• A full-length novel rather than a novella

The short length is easily the biggest potential problem.

📚 Books Similar to It

If what you loved was MM + sunshine/grumpy + hockey + sweetness, I’d look at:

1. ** Catch Me Again by Emmy Sanders** — the closest recommendation because it directly connects to Scoring a Sweet Thing. Bailey appears as a friend, and the two stories reference each other’s characters.
2. ** The Chicago Thunder series** — worth exploring if you specifically want more professional hockey MM romance and similar character energy.
3. Jodi Oliver’s other MM romances — especially if Remi’s chaotic, lovable personality worked for you.

If you tell me what you liked most about this one—hockey, grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, spice, or the sweetness—I can give you 5 much closer recommendations.

❓ FAQ

Is it a standalone?
Yes, you can read the story on its own, although it is connected to Catch Me Again.

Do I need to read Catch Me Again first?
No. But reading it gives you extra context for Bailey and makes the crossover more fun.

Is it spicy?
Yes, but I’d put it around 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5, rather than extremely spicy.

Is it angsty?
Not really. It’s primarily a sweet, humorous, low-angst romance.

Is there a happy ending?
Yes—the romance gets a satisfying feel-good conclusion.

Is it a slow burn?
No. The relationship develops relatively quickly because this is a novella.

What’s the best trope?
For me: golden retriever × black cat. It’s the heart of the book.

What’s the biggest weakness?
Length. I think the characters and romance could easily have supported a full novel.

⭐ Final Verdict

💗 My final verdict: 4.5/5

Worth reading? Absolutely.

It’s not a book I’d recommend for an intricate plot or a deeply dramatic romance. I’d recommend it for the characters. Remi and Bailey are ridiculously cute together, and their relationship has that comforting “you don’t need to change—I love you exactly like this” feeling.

Best for: 🏒 hockey + ☀️ golden retriever MC + 🐈 introvert/black-cat LI + 🎭 fake dating + 💕 low angst + 🌶️ moderate spice.

Biggest flaw: It’s too short. And honestly, wanting another 200 pages of Remi and Bailey is a pretty good problem to have. 😭💕