The Book Bag: Ellie Hall

Showing posts with label Ellie Hall. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Book Blitz! Skating and Fake Dating by Ellie Hall ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #SkatingAndFakeDating @XpressoTours

Skating and Fake Dating by Ellie Hall
(Love in Maple Falls, #4))
Publication date: September 3rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

I’m pretending to be his stable girlfriend while he plays my successful boyfriend. But now faking feels a lot like falling.

Bailey

I’m a walking contradiction—professional on the job, a hot mess at home, and working my “I’ve got this” smile until my cheeks ache while hiding my hobbies: making maple butter and finding a husband. With my perfect sister’s recent engagement, I’m desperate to avoid Mom’s pitying looks and matchmaking attempts.

Carson

I used to be hockey’s laid-back southern charmer until a crushing rejection from my high school sweetheart transformed me into a workaholic. When I’m unexpectedly traded to a new team, rumors circulate about whether the gentleman wingman lost his edge. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove them wrong.

Bailey

When our worlds collide after a dessert disaster, we come up with a mutually beneficial solution to our respective woes: a fake relationship. The rules are simple: I get a “successful” boyfriend for family events. He gets a “stable” girlfriend for team image. No feelings, no complications, and a definite expiration date.

Carson

But between posing as a couple at the fall festival, midnight maple butter-making sessions, trying to keep our stories straight, and undeniable chemistry, what started as a convenient lie is beginning to feel inconveniently real. As the clock runs down on our arrangement, we’ll have to decide: walk away when the final buzzer sounds, or take a shot at the love neither of us saw coming.

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Skating and Fake Dating is a heartwarming hockey romcom featuring Bailey and ‘Bama who are perfect for each other in all the most imperfect ways, plus, small-town charm, family shenanigans, and a guaranteed happily ever after sweeter than homemade maple butter blondies.

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

Fake-Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen

Offside and Off Limits by Kate O’Keeffe

Checking Mr. Wrong by Anne Kemp

Skating and Fake Dating by Ellie Hall

Goalie and the Girl Next Door by Elsie Woods

Soulmates and Slapshots by Melissa Baldwin

The Icing on the Cake by Grace Worthington

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

“In one simple move—” Waving his hand across the links of the cuffs, my pulse skips and then plummets.

Nothing happens.

A consummate professional, he declares, “That was to show that no ordinary person has the ability to free these people from their bonds. No, it takes a special flick of the—” He motions again, and I expect the handcuffs to drop from our wrists, but they remain fixed, locked.

His smile wavers. My expression morphs into a scowl. Bailey grins as if this is all part of the act and she’s expecting the handcuffs to vanish like the coin from the box.

I know better … or at least, my stomach thinks it does.

The magician tries one more time, but we remain locked together.

“Ah, yes. I must’ve, um, we’ll just take a moment in my stall to—” Turning his back on the crowd, he ushers us inside and then closes the black curtain at our backs.

“Get these off, now,” I say, forgoing my manners and the word sir.

Bailey adds, “Please.”

Sweat dots his forehead. “I don’t know what went wrong. Yes, of course. Let me just find the key. It’s here—” He rifles through a little drawer in a wooden chest.

I glance at Bailey and her shoulders droop slightly. She mouths, I’m sorry.

No, it’s this clown show of a magician who should be sorry.

“Ah ha!” He says, pinching a small key between his fingers.

“Hurry up. We have a wedding to go to.” I belatedly realize I included myself when in reality I’m dropping Bailey off and then going, well, I’m not sure where. She must, though, having arranged my moving plans.

The magician slides the key into the lock, but again, nothing happens. Wrenching it from his fingers, I say, “Let me try.”

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About the author

Ellie Hall is a USA Today bestselling author. If only that meant she could wear a tiara and get away with it. ;) She loves puppies, books, and the ocean. Writing sweet romance with lots of firsts and fizzy feels gives her joy. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies are her fave. Ellie believes in dreaming big, working hard, and lazy Sunday afternoons spent with her family and dog in gratitude for God’s grace.

Connect with Ellie

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter

Skating and Fake Dating Blitz Giveaway

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Book Blitz! Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall ~ Excerpt & #Giveaway! #LoveAtFirstSkate @XpressoTours

Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall
(Love on Thin Ice)
Publication date: October 3rd 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

They say love is messy. Turns out friendship is too, especially when you’re stranded in a cabin with your best friend and hearts are on thin ice.

Teddy

I’ve heard that men and women can’t be friends without it becoming something more. Harlow and I put that theory in the penalty box, thank you very much.

She laughs at my jokes, secretly admires my hockey butt, trusts me with her biggest fear (it’s safe with me). In turn, she knows everything about me. Well, almost.

There’s been a recent development. I’m gone for her. Down bad. Solid Crush. She lives rent free in my mind. I’ve caught feelings. This wouldn’t be a problem except, you know, the whole shattering our friendship thing.

Harlow

You know those days you want to erase? It went like this: my boyfriend broke up with me (it was overdue), and then I broke up with my job while at a work conference (it was mind-numbing).

In an ironic twist, I won the raffle for a romantic getaway trip for two. Who else to bring other than my best friend who’ll gladly commiserate with me? He has a hockey event nearby, so it works out perfectly.

Until we’re stranded in the cozy cabin together. There’s a blaze of attraction. A friendship-changing kiss.

What now? Do we hit the reset button? Salvage what we had? Pretend it never happened? These are things I’d talk to my bestie about, but I can’t because I’m head over heels for him.

Love at First Skate is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It’s a best friends to lovers, forced proximity, no third act breakup romantic comedy with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

Grabbing the throw blanket from the back of the loveseat, I wrap it around her and then roll her up, moving away from the food and avoiding table legs, and hollering, “Blanket burrito.”

It’s something that I used to spontaneously do because it’s hilarious, makes Harlow laugh, and is a good excuse for us to be close. Wrapped in the blanket, I have full access to her neck which is ticklish. With her arms tucked in, she can only wiggle and giggle.

I love it. She does too even though it’s the best kind of agony.

Her lowered brow Grumpy Cat seriousness disappears and her expression contorts all giggly and adorable.

“You are the only human on the planet who could get away with this,” she says through laughter.

“I know.”

She adds, “I hate laughing.”

“You don’t. It’s good for you. I consider myself your laughter doctor. This is your daily dose of laughs for medicinal purposes. Take one and call me in the morning.”

This changes the shape of her laughter slightly because the comment genuinely tickles Harlow’s funny bone, as they say.

Snuggled close to me, I peek at her. Our gazes drift together and something twists in my chest. She presses her lips together, probably holding back more laughter. The moment lengthens and then snaps as we burst into another fit of hilarity as I roll us on the floor like a giant, runaway burrito.

“There better be dessert,” she says at last.

“Churro everything,” I say, my voice a bit deeper than usual as I inhale her cinnamon spice scent at close range.

A daring and dangerous thought enters my mind. This could be the norm—closing the distance, cuddling, kissing . . .

But I know better. It would ruin our just friendship. Right then, I do everything in my power to talk myself out of making a play for Harlow.