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Stand and Defend (Lakes Hockey Series Book 4)
Jordana I live my life head over heart and never rock the boat. Which is how I wound up engaged to Bryan Davenport--the biggest mistake I ever made. We were a power couple, but no one knew how cruel he…
- Release Date
- 2026
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Our Review
About the book
The fourth Lakes Hockey romance follows Jordana Landry, who walks away from her wedding after her fiance reveals a cruel streak and hides out with his best friend, Minnesota Lakes captain Camden Teller. As their friendship turns into attraction, her ex refuses to let her go.
Our review
The Lakes Hockey series’ most emotionally serious entry pairs a woman reclaiming her life with a playboy who surprises everyone, including himself.
St. James gives this one more weight than its predecessors. Jordana’s journey away from a controlling relationship is handled with care, and we appreciated that her growth matters as much as the romance. Camden is a fun foil: reckless, loud and charming, with enough hidden steadiness to make the slow shift from friend to something more feel earned. Their banter is lively, and the found-family warmth of the team, built over earlier books, pays off nicely here.
Fair warning that the book is explicit and deals with emotional and physical abuse in an ex-partner, so check content notes before diving in. The villainous ex is drawn in very dark, simple strokes, which flattens some of the tension, and the third act leans on a familiar romance-novel crisis. But readers who want a hockey romance with genuine stakes and a heroine who learns to take up space will, we suspect, find this the strongest book in the series so far.
What we loved
- Jordana’s believable, satisfying arc toward independence
- Camden’s mix of chaos and quiet loyalty
- Strong ensemble scenes with returning characters from the series
Keep in mind
- Contains abuse themes and explicit content; check content warnings
- The ex-fiance is a one-note villain
Read it if you like
Fans of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker, Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, or Lucy Score’s small-town romances.
The verdict
The most grown-up Lakes Hockey book: steamy, warm and grounded by a heroine worth rooting for.
