When Nell loses the promotion she’s spent years working towards, it’s bad enough. But when it goes to her glamorous sister Ava – who then helps orchestrate Nell’s entire team being made redundant – it’s the final straw. Humiliated, heartbroken and in full-scale emotional meltdown, Nell does the only sensible thing: she flees to Spain.
Her escape plan involves a wellness retreat, a complete reinvention and absolutely no more people-pleasing. Unfortunately, the retreat turns out to be a caffeine-and-wifi-free spiritual bootcamp fuelled by sticks for breakfast, tree hugging and enforced emotional honesty. Worse still, Nell keeps running into Oliver – a super-hot, kind stranger who witnessed her airport breakdown, accidentally got detained by armed police alongside her, and now seems impossible to avoid.
As Nell scrambles to fake her way into a new career as a life coach while hiding a growing mountain of lies, she begins to question if she’s spent her entire life trying to please everyone except herself.
Her hockey star ex. A snowy cabin escape. A fake dating scheme to fool their families.
Carson
A family tragedy caused Ayla and I to stop skating in the same direction. I’m burying my head in hockey practice and finding my way back to myself. Now she wants me to pretend we never fell apart for one snowy weekend in the mountains. I tell myself it’s just a favor. But sharing a cabin with the woman I once called home? That’s dangerous ice.
Ayla
Carson and I loved each other, but grief rewrote the rules, and neither of us knew how to play anymore. However, our relationship status isn’t public knowledge and I need him to help keep the illusion intact. Just temporarily for my Nonna’s birthday. Pretending brings back the easy banter, the familiar heat, the moments that once made us a team. The problem? None of it feels fake. But can we get past this one weekend and confront what we have been too scared to talk about and maybe find our way back to each other?
This book is about Carson and Ayla, a once-happy married couple whose relationship was shattered by unimaginable loss. When circumstances force them together for a snowy weekend, they are faced with the painful memories, unresolved grief, and lingering love they’ve spent years trying to avoid.
Kelly Jamieson delivers a deeply emotional second chance romance that goes far beyond the typical hockey love story. The portrayal of grief and the breakdown of a marriage feels honest and authentic, allowing both Carson and Ayla to be imperfect yet incredibly relatable. Neither character is painted as entirely right or wrong, which makes their journey toward healing all the more compelling.
The forced proximity setting creates the perfect opportunity for long-buried feelings to resurface, and their shared history adds emotional weight to every interaction. Despite exploring heavier themes, the story balances heartbreak with tenderness, chemistry, and hope.
Overall, The Rebound is a touching, beautifully written romance about loss, forgiveness, and rediscovering love after life changes everything. Fans of emotional sports romances will find plenty to love.
