Overall Grade: A
Tropes: professional hockey romance, opposites attract, spicy lessons, virgin hero, he falls first, he’s obsessed, doctor/patient, age gap, workplace romance, black cat/golden retriever, grumpy/sunshine
Resilience. This word, woven throughout her novels, explains why Kandi Steiner’s romances continue to captivate her readers. Steiner crafts characters who overcome personal emotional and mental struggles to reach beautifully rendered, emotionally grounded happy endings. Her earlier works, written during a period of personal growth, were gut-wrenching, angsty stories that turned readers’ souls inside out before piecing them back together. Her recent novels, inspired by her own happiness, retain that signature angst but take a different path. Rather than guiding readers through an almost spiritual journey toward understanding, they embrace heat and passion. The transcendent quality of her earlier angsty stories has evolved into tales where initial reluctance transforms into deep, abiding, forever love. Same Kandi Steiner, different shade.
I’ll be honest: I was nervous about Stand Your Ground when she revealed the cover and blurb. If I had paired Livia with anyone, Coach seemed the obvious choice, not Carter. While I could imagine Carter and Livia together, the prospect didn’t excite me. Reading this book forced me to examine my initial skepticism. I entered the story doubting Steiner could make me believe in Livia and Carter. I finished it reminded of Steiner’s remarkable ability to develop characters and story, drawing readers so deeply into the angst, steam, and love that leaving feels like loss.
What captivated me about this book?
Steiner’s willingness to venture into new territory with both courage and artistry stands out. This marks her first exploration of “the Lifestyle.” She handles it with a light touch while showing its meaningful impact on Livia’s life and its role in helping Carter process his perfectionism and feelings of inadequacy. This demonstrates Steiner’s versatility in embracing tropes that might seem outside her usual brand, and she executes it brilliantly. Her willingness to take this risk excites me as a reader, suggesting openness to future experimentation. In our social media age where trying something new feels perilous, this risk pays off beautifully within Livia and Carter’s story.
Livia’s masterful character development provides the story’s emotional foundation. A woman’s personality emerges from both nature and nurture. Often, intelligent, driven, independent women develop these traits through social influences. Livia’s need for control over her career, her carefully curated friendships, and eventually her situationship stems from past trauma. Steiner’s construction of Livia resonated most deeply because I felt and understood her struggle intimately. Carter’s eventual interest in and care for her elevates him to swoon-worthy heroic status. Livia’s characterization became my favorite element of the book.
The found family trope continues to evolve beautifully throughout the story. Carter and Livia cannot exist without their surrounding circle of friends. These characters, familiar from the earlier Kings of the Ice series, receive deeper development as Steiner continues exploring their happy endings. Vince and Maven, Grace and Jaxson, Will and Chloe, and Aleks and Mia all appear within Carter and Livia’s orbit. They provide humor, wisdom, and family bonds essential to Livia’s story, especially given her complicated biological family dynamics. Steiner’s skill with this trope highlights her ability to draw devoted fans. By continuously deepening these relationships, she illustrates love’s power beyond romance. She reminds us that solitude isn’t inevitable; we can build our own families when biological ones fall short.
Steiner’s generous storytelling continues to impress. I never anticipated loving Livia and Carter as deeply as I now do. I finished Stand Your Ground feeling satisfied, emotional, and eager for Coach’s story. Kandi Steiner’s creativity and genuine care for readers through her writing make her books essential reading every time.
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 