The Mistake

I went into *The Mistake* expecting a standard sports romance, but Kennedy delivers something far grittier. Logan isn’t just your run-of-the-mill brooding hero—he’s a mess, and his flaws aren’t just adorable quirks but deeply painful contradictions. Avalon’s narration sells this brilliantly, her raspy delivery making his self-loathing feel palpable without ever tipping into melodrama. Samuels, meanwhile, brings an effortless charm to the love interest, making their dynamic feel like a slow-burn friendship before it turns romantic. The chemistry isn’t instant, which is refreshing; their banter simmers, and even their fights feel real because the stakes aren’t just about attraction but about Logan confronting his own demons. That said, the side characters occasionally blur together, and the hockey subplot, while well-executed, sometimes feels like it’s fighting for space with the emotional core. The ending, too, wraps up a little too neatly for my taste—Logan’s growth is satisfying, but I wished his final hurdle felt less like a pop psychology epiphany and more like a bruising, messy reality. Still, the audiobook’s production is top-tier, with crisp sound and a pacing that never drags, even in the slower emotional beats. If you’re craving a romance that doesn’t shy away from ugliness and doesn’t rely on fairy-tale tropes, this is your book.