Face Off book cover featuring Cooper, sports agent, and Shawna, PR Manager for the Chicago Challengers Hockey Team
Coming Soon

Face Off

CHICAGO CHALLENGERS SERIES
BOOK 3

He’s been dreaming about her for years.

She’s been trying to pretend he never existed.

As the PR manager of the Chicago Challengers, one of the most popular hockey franchises in the NHL, Shawna Gower is an unstoppable force. Nothing scares her—except Cooper Grant and the secrets she keeps close to her heart. Memories of their time together are enough to set her soul ablaze, but their past makes them impossible—even if she’s the only one who knows why. All she can do is pray they never cross paths again.

Cooper has carved out an incredible life for himself as an A-list sports agent, but it’s missing something, and he knows exactly what—or rather, whom—that is. Perhaps it’s foolish to think of a one-night stand as the one who got away, but Cooper hasn’t been able to shake the idea that maybe that’s exactly what Shawna had been.

He thought he’d been doing a decent job of not dwelling on what might have been, but that was before destiny reunited them. Now, he’s smelling her perfume. Hearing her laugh. Remembering why she was unforgettable.

Can Shawna open her heart to a second chance with Cooper? Or will her secrets be the wrecking ball that turns everything to rubble?


  • Sweet & spicy hockey romance

    Workplace romance

    Second chance romance

    Sizzling chemistry

    NHL PR manager x Sports agent

    MCs over 30

    Accidental Pregnancy

    Complicated history

    High emotional stakes

    Self-forgiveness

    Witty banter

    Found family

    Secrets


  • Sexually explicit scenes (consensual)

    Profanity

    Alcohol consumption (on page)

    Verbal abuse (not from a main character but directed toward one)

    Cancer diagnosis/death of a loved one (past but discussed on page)

    Pregnancy (multiple)

    Pregnancy loss (past but briefly described on page)

    Fertility treatments (discussed on page)

    Cheating (in a past relationship)

What Readers Are Saying

  • “Face Off is an intense romance with real life problems, physical and emotional scars that will never heal, two hearts that beat and long for each other, fears and insecurities, but also instant connections, deep chemistry, healing moments, support, dedication and true love that is patient and kind.”

  • “Jillian MacLean gives us two grown-up characters that face difficult obstacles in order to have their HEA, with a lot of emotional packed moments along the way; a cautious, caring way of dealing with loss and grief: painful but necessary healing processes; life altering moments and the best kind of love – the one that forgives, stays and helps to heal.”

  • “The Challengers series has been such a journey, and Face Off was an incredible addition. I highly recommend not just this book, but ALL THREE!”

  • “This isn’t just a second-chance-at-love story. It’s about keeping yourself shackled to past mistakes, friendship, healing, what we think we deserve versus what we actually want, and all the pressures we put on ourselves while boxing ourselves into expectations.”

Also in this series:

Stick Side Swoon Worthy Sweet Sports Romance Novel Cover
Puck Bunny Sweet and Spicy Sports Romance Novel Cover Art
Face Off book cover featuring Cooper, sports agent, and Shawna, PR Manager for the Chicago Challengers Hockey Team

FAQs

  • Face Off follows NHL PR manager Shawna Gower as she struggles to navigate being forced to work on an image rebrand with Cooper Grant, the one man she’d hoped to never cross paths with again. Cooper may be elated that fate has given him another chance with the woman he’s spent years dreaming of, but Shawna can’t help but think he’d be far less enthusiastic if he knew about the secrets she’s kept hidden from him. Told in dual POV, the story explores Shawna and Cooper’s efforts to unpack their complicated history, as well as the realization that their chemistry is just as electric as it always was. 

  • Yes. Face Off is Book 3 of the Chicago Challengers series.

  • No. Face Off can be read as a standalone, but readers familiar with Stick Side and Puck Bunny will recognize the world and team context.

  • Key tropes in Face Off include hockey romance, workplace romance, second chance romance, accidental pregnancy, complicated history, high emotional stakes, secrets, witty banter, and found family.

  • Face Off explores self-forgiveness, the difficult question of what it truly means to cheat, and whether we can—or should—ever forgive ourselves for our perceived transgressions. Real love looks at the messy parts and stays anyway.

  • Face Off is a moderately spicy open door romance. It contains three explicit couple scenes, each of which contains adult content and language.

  • Readers who enjoy workplace romance, second chances, self-forgiveness, and high emotional stakes set against a backdrop of professional hockey will slip right into the pages of this story. It’s a great choice for people who appreciate that we all make mistakes, but it’s how we respond to them that truly determines our character.