Introduction
Published in December 2023, Same Time Next Year is available as an e-novella from the New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey. Featuring hockey romance, a fake marriage and a cute story, this novella is a classical romcom.
A Summary
Britta is a well loved and hardworking waitress at Sluggers, a bar that feels like home and happens to be the favourite hangout for the Bridgeport Bandits. With her half brother on the team, she has a firm rule about not getting involved with hockey players, even though she has always had a soft spot for Sumner Mayfield. Sumner is a powerhouse on the ice and is close to making his NHL dreams real, but his work visa is about to run out. The only way he can stay in Bridgeport is by marrying an American, which puts him in a desperate spot. When the team asks Britta to help him on New Year’s Eve, she hesitates, until something about Sumner’s sincerity and quiet hope makes her rethink everything.
My Thoughts
The spiciness in this novella is genuinely top tier and it delivers that full-body emotional payoff even though the leadup is shorter than a standard romance. Tessa Bailey knows how to write tension that feels earned, and the intimate moments land with the kind of intensity that makes you forget you are reading a novella and not a full-length book. I had a great time with that side of the story and it gave the whole thing a satisfying sense of release that matched the emotional beats really well.
Where I struggled was with Sumner. On paper he is charming, kind and the sort of man who holds doors and remembers your coffee order. In practice his tone often felt like he wanted to fix Britta rather than love her as she was. I understand that a lot of Britta’s isolation came from trauma and not from a genuine desire to avoid connection, and I am always here for stories where women get to choose softness after surviving something hard. The issue for me is that the novella format did not give enough space for that shift to feel natural. Britta goes from running her bar, living her life and being clear about not wanting marriage or children to suddenly giving up her business, moving across the country and embracing a future she had never wanted before. It is a huge transformation and it happens so quickly that it risks reinforcing the idea that women only think they do not want certain things until the right man shows up. I know that was not the intention, but the pacing made it feel like love was the cure rather than a choice, and that took me out of the emotional arc a little.
Recommendation
This is perfect for lovers of Icebreaker by Hannah Grace and it leans into the same playful, chemistry-heavy energy. It is definitely one for readers who are 18+ because the novella includes plenty of explicit scenes, but the overall vibe stays fun, flirty and easy to sink into.
