Levi by Lexi James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fake dating my ex-fiancée’s sister? What could possibly go wrong?

Quinn Sullivan is the one I’ve always wanted but could only have behind closed doors—and she’s definitely the last person I should be tangled up with now. She’s off limits, untouchable…and also happens to be my coach’s niece.

After one steamy night and a very bad idea, we’re suddenly fake dating. For appearances, we say. Totally under control.

Except nothing about Quinn has ever been under control. Not when she looks at me like that. Not when she kisses me like we’ve never ended. Not when pretending starts to feel a whole lot like the real thing.

This was supposed to be fake. No strings. No feelings.

But for once, I’m betting it all. Because this fake relationship? It’s the realest thing l’ve ever felt.

Levi

Hockey, Heart, and Second Chances

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💛💚❤️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂😁😛
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary

Levi and Quinn have been dancing around their feelings for years, which gives this romance a lot more emotional weight than a typical fake dating story. Quinn is the athletic trainer for the Nashville Firebirds, while Levi is one of the team’s star players. Their history is messy because Levi was once engaged to Quinn’s older sister, thanks in part to years of misunderstandings and manipulation that kept Levi and Quinn apart. By the time the story begins, they have already slipped into a secret friends with benefits arrangement, but neither of them is willing to admit that their feelings have never really gone away.

The fake dating setup starts when pretending to be together serves both of their interests, but it quickly becomes obvious that the act is much easier than pretending they do not love each other. I especially liked how their relationship develops through quiet moments as much as the bigger emotional scenes. Levi caring for his grandmother as she struggles with Alzheimer’s showed a softer, more vulnerable side of him, and Quinn’s determination to build a successful career despite years of emotional manipulation from her family made it easy to root for her.

Highlights and Limitations

The strongest part of this book was how much history Levi and Quinn shared. Their chemistry never felt like instant attraction because it was built on years of friendship, longing, and missed opportunities. One of my favorite moments was when the fake relationship slowly stopped feeling fake, especially during the smaller everyday interactions where they naturally slipped into supporting each other without thinking about it.

I also appreciated that Quinn finally confronted the damage her sister had caused over the years instead of simply letting everything stay buried. Watching her find the confidence to stand up for herself made her character growth just as satisfying as the romance.

One criticism is that some of the family conflict wrapped up a little faster than I expected. After spending so much time building the emotional tension surrounding Quinn’s family and the misunderstandings that kept the couple apart, I would have liked a few more chapters showing the aftermath before everything settled into place. It drove me crazy that neither Quinn nor Levi didn’t just blurt it out in front of the team and coach that Allie was the cheater, not Levi. I really wanted to see Allie taken down a peg or three.

Another is the fact that Quinn and Levi are having a sexual relationship before they start dating, but as soon as they agree to fake date, they make the decision to stop sleeping together. It is the most stupid choice I can think of. Why not just enjoy each other like they already were?

Narration

Mia Madison and Jonathan Lake made an excellent pairing for this audiobook. Mia Madison captured Quinn’s confidence at work while still letting her vulnerability come through during the more emotional family scenes. Jonathan Lake gave Levi the warmth and quiet devotion that define his character, particularly during the scenes with his grandmother and when he finally stopped hiding how deeply he cared for Quinn. He has a nice deep sexy voice that I enjoy quite a bit.

The dual narration helped distinguish each perspective and made the emotional conversations feel more natural. Their performances elevated both the playful banter and the heavier moments without making either feel overdone.

Final Opinion

I had a great time with this audiobook. I came for the hockey romance and fake dating, but I stayed for the years of unresolved feelings and the emotional payoff when Levi and Quinn finally stopped denying what had always been obvious. The combination of forbidden romance, found family, and genuine character growth kept me invested from beginning to end.

Levi ended up being much more emotionally layered than I expected, and Quinn was exactly the kind of heroine I enjoy reading about because she earned her happy ending instead of simply stumbling into it. If you enjoy hockey romances with believable history between the main characters, plenty of tension, and a satisfying emotional payoff, this one is well worth picking up.

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