Mr. Swoony by Piper Rayne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hockey players were never my type.

At least, that’s what I thought—until I met Conor Nilsen. In truth, I didn’t know he was the goalie for the Chicago Falcons when he struck up a conversation the night of my bachelorette party.

He proved he wasn’t just some hot guy looking to score when he helped me get my drunk bridesmaid safely back to our hotel. That’s when he discovered my 30-before-30 bucket list—a list I hadn’t managed to check a single item off.

What was meant to be a night of stargazing turned into so much more. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and after one innocent night together, I started to question everything—especially my upcoming wedding to a man I wasn’t sure loved me.

Fast forward to my wedding day, and just as I’m standing at the altar, Conor bursts through the church doors to object. And now, somehow, I’m his roommate. Yikes.

Mr. Swoony

Mr. Swoony Lived Up to His Name

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration – Full Cast

Characters and Plot Summary

Conor Nilsen is the goalie for the Chicago Falcons, and after seeing his more playful side in the earlier books, I was very ready to see what would happen when he finally met someone who could knock him off balance. Eloise Corbin is nearly thirty, engaged, and the kind of person who has spent so much time trying to keep everyone else happy that she has lost track of what she actually wants. Their first meeting happens at Eloise’s disastrous bachelorette party, where Conor notices she is clearly miserable and ends up helping her get her intoxicated bridesmaid safely back to the hotel. What starts as an innocent conversation turns into a surprisingly meaningful night when they discover her 30-before-30 bucket list and spend time together under the stars.

The problem is that Eloise is supposed to be getting married. Conor knows it, and despite their immediate connection, he doesn’t try to push her into anything. That makes the wedding-day confrontation even more satisfying. When Conor shows up at the church and objects, Eloise finally has to stop living according to everyone else’s expectations. I loved that the story doesn’t immediately turn this into an easy happily-ever-after. Eloise needs time to figure herself out, and when she ends up needing somewhere to stay, Conor offers her a room. Their transition from friends and roommates into something more gives the romance room to develop.

Highlights and Limitations

The biggest strength for me was Conor himself. He absolutely earns the Mr. Swoony title. I especially liked that his support of Eloise wasn’t limited to romantic declarations. He takes her bucket list seriously and actually helps her start checking things off, which becomes part of her process of rediscovering the woman she had been before spending so much time pleasing other people. The discovery of her more intimate bucket list also leads to some fun and steamy moments without completely overshadowing the emotional side of their relationship. I love the fact that he sees early on that she doesn’t come first in her fiancé’s life and he thinks she should come first.

The wedding scene was probably my favorite plot beat. Conor walking into the church to object could easily have felt ridiculous, but I thought Piper Rayne made it work because of how much groundwork had been laid between them. I also enjoyed the banter and the scenes involving the Falcons’ found-family dynamic. Those interactions make The Nest feel like more than just a backdrop for the romance.

My one reservation is that I wanted a little more time devoted to Eloise’s personal growth. Several reviews made the same observation, and I can see why. Her realization that she has spent years putting everyone else first is important, but some of that transformation moves faster than I would have preferred. The relationship development gets plenty of attention, while Eloise’s individual journey occasionally feels like it is being hurried along.

Narration

The audiobook is a full-cast production, with Connor Crais and Luci Christian Bell handling Conor and Eloise and Sean Masters, JF Harding, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, and CJ Bloom contributing to the supporting cast.

Connor Crais was particularly effective as Conor. His delivery captured that combination of confident hockey-player charm and the much softer, more caring side Conor shows Eloise. Luci Christian Bell also worked well for Eloise because her performance allowed me to hear the difference between the woman who is constantly trying to please people and the woman who gradually becomes more confident in making her own choices. The additional cast members helped make the Falcons’ scenes feel lively rather than like one narrator simply switching voices. For me, the audio format really enhanced the banter and team camaraderie.

Final Thoughts

I had a genuinely good time with Mr. Swoony. What surprised me most was how much I ended up caring about Eloise’s journey beyond the romance. Conor may be the swoony one, but Eloise’s decision to finally choose herself is what gave the story its emotional weight for me.

The combination of hockey romance, a wedding interruption, roommates-to-lovers, bucket-list adventures, and the ongoing found-family dynamic made this an easy listen. I especially appreciated that Conor could be completely smitten without becoming pushy. He wanted Eloise, but he also wanted her to choose him because she genuinely wanted him.

For me, this was a fun, warm, sexy addition to The Nest, and the full-cast audiobook made the experience even better. If you enjoy hockey romances with big chemistry, supportive friendships, a seriously swoony hero, and a heroine learning to put herself first, this one is definitely worth adding to your listening list.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|BookBub



View all my reviews