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Ivy League Players #2

Unlovable Player

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Of all the assholes in the NCAA who could have been traded to the team, Sebastian Huntington is the absolute fucking worst.

Two players from opposite sides of the tracks face off in this spicy rivals to lovers MM hockey romance.

Austin is NHL-bound, if only the team who picked his name in the draft would sign him already! Coming up to the cut-off point and graduation, Austin is hyper focused on proving himself and paying his mom back for all her sacrifices.
The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of the Ivy League’s biggest asshole Sebastian Huntington III.

Sebastian has been raised in Swiss boarding schools and Ivy League colleges, but after a scandal forces him from New Haven, he finds himself in a situation he is not used to navigating.
While messing with the hottest player in the NCAA was fun, playing on the same team is going to be a challenge. Maybe Sebastian can make it interesting?

Each book in the Ivy League Players series can be read as standalones and feature a new couple at a new college.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2025

104 people are currently reading
477 people want to read

About the author

Emmery Fox

4 books46 followers
When I'm not trying to invent the perfect book boyfriend, I'm studying towards a graduate degree in Modern History, trying to little avail to get better at drawing and watching You've Got Mail for the millionth time!

I write spicy MM romance with special emphasis on sports, small towns and childhood sweethearts.

I love romance books with spicy scenes that don't feel detached from the couple's relationship dynamics, and when our protagonists respect and root for each other.

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5 stars
185 (28%)
4 stars
266 (40%)
3 stars
169 (25%)
2 stars
26 (3%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Heidi.
106 reviews
February 22, 2025
Unloveable Player by Emmery Fox is a delightful rivals to lovers story. It’s got just the right amount of angst without feeling overbearing. Even though it’s the second book in the series, it works perfectly fine as a stand-alone.

The story follows Austin, the team captain with humble beginnings and a single mom who’s worked her butt off to support his hockey dreams. Austin’s juggling the pressures of having been drafted, finishing school, and worrying about taking care of his mom.

Then there’s Sebastian, the rich, cocky guy who seems to have it all (including daddy’s endless AMEX), and has always been Austin’s nemesis on the ice when he played for rival Yale. When Sebastian transfers to Austin’s team, you know sparks are bound to fly‌ — ‌even if it starts with plenty of bickering and some serious team tension. As the rivals gradually turn into something more, the story does a great job of exploring their growing connection and the seemingly (to them) class challenges they face.

Meanwhile, Austin is finally coming to terms with his own truths about attraction and identity. I thought this was done so well. The bi-awakening was really well done, and didn't seem to come out of left field. I also really loved the coming-out scene with his mom, and when he admitted to overcoming the feelings that he “should” be with a woman. Plus we love a supportive mom! Oh and all the first time scenes were adorable. Sebastian’s seemingly perfect life slowly reveals a more complicated reality. The transition from rivalry to romance feels natural and real. (And not really even a slow burn!) without any over-the-top drama.

All in all, Unloveable Player delivers a quick, heartfelt read with plenty of good feels and memorable “first time” moments. I’m giving it five stars and can’t wait to read the next!
Profile Image for Allan.
428 reviews4 followers
September 7, 2025
3 stars
Better than the first book for sure, even if I’m still screaming internally about the grammar at some points.
Profile Image for A&#x1f984;&#x1f33b;&#x1f319;.
311 reviews5 followers
May 18, 2025
4.25⭐️


Ooo the tension, the rivalry, the drama! I had a good time with this one. Seb is a really interesting character that has been put through the wringer and Austin can’t quite get him out of his head. I liked watching their (mostly one sided) animosity develop into something more. One thing stylistically that carried over from the first book that was kinda irksome is how the author often had dialogue mentioned in the middle of a paragraph outside of quotes right before then starting the quoted dialogue - it made following the conversations more difficult and for my ADHD brain that jumps to spoken quotes a heck of a lot, it had me having to backtrack and reread stuff to make sure I knew where conversations were starting. Other than that annoying bit I really liked this addition to the series and hope for more!
Profile Image for Maddi Marina.
286 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2025
cute little rivals to lovers and teammates story! super easy and fun read that i got done in one day 🕺🏼
Profile Image for Meandmyshelf23.
122 reviews2 followers
March 8, 2025
I read the first book of this series and I gotta say while I liked untouchable player, unlovable player is definitely my favorite.

I really enjoyed the writing and plot. I feel like there was improvement from book 1 to book two and that’s exactly what you want in a series, I’m planning on continuing this series.

The story itself is really interesting, we have Sebastian who is a rich spoiled troubled kid and Austin who can only be described as a golden boy. Opposites attract obviously and these two cannot keep away from each other even when it was dislike you can feel the pull they have towards each other.

I like the growth Sebastian had, he was in so much need of love and Austin provided him with it. I really wanted to give Seb a hug when he told Austin about what happened at Yale.

I loved Austin’s mom and family they were exactly what Sebastian needed.

Just like in the first book these boys are great at communicating and that’s one of my favorite things.

Thank you to the author for this ARC, this review is entirely my own.
Profile Image for Ellie.
790 reviews74 followers
March 23, 2025
3.5 stars

Had some really nice moments, like the meet the family segment with Austin's mother.

Also really liked the sharing of music.

But overall it just fell kind of flat.

Fewer grammar and punctuation issues than book 1, glad the author seems to have taken that into account.
Profile Image for Sasha.
265 reviews4 followers
March 22, 2025
"Unlovable Player" by Emmery Fox is a delightful rivals-to-lovers MM hockey romance that will captivate you from start to finish!

I adored the perfect blend of enmity and angst, which added depth to the story without feeling overwhelming. The characters, Austin and Sebastian, are sweet, cute, and complex, making their transition from hatred to love a joy to witness.

The author's writing is engaging, and the hockey setting adds an exciting layer to the story. The romance is slow-burning, passionate, and satisfying.

Overall, "Unlovable Player" is a fantastic read for fans of MM romance, hockey, and rivals-to-lovers tropes!
Profile Image for Alix .
1,102 reviews38 followers
March 9, 2025
4.5 - This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it very much. The writing was great, the character development was well done, and it had a pretty much perfect amount of hockey. Sebastian is a cocky rich kid who used to go to Yale, but left after a scandal. He transferred to the college with the best hockey team around and that's the one whose team captain is Austin, an earnest, hardworking son of a single mom, who comes from New Jersey. One of the little details I loved was that his New Jersey accent was considered sexy. While Sebastian and Austin start off as rivals, even before Seb was on Austin's team, they soon become friendly and start to get to know one another. The scandal that follows Seb to his new school does have to do with his being gay. Austin, it turns out, has been contemplating whether or not he is bi. Austin and Sebastian face some challenges while navigating their teammates+ status including handling the teammates who aren't welcoming to Sebastian, the class/wealth differences between them, the trajectory of their future paths, and also family issues, but they do so in such lovely ways. One of my fave side characters is Austin's mom - not only is she a wonderful, supportive parent, but I love that she's given such great details and personality. She's a bit more fleshed out than typical moms in books and I just loved her. This has so many really well-written moments - the first kiss, the coming out to mom and to a couple of other people, Seb's visit to New Jersey, the pretty natural progression of spicy moments....I really enjoyed reading this. It had the comfortable familiarity of a college hockey romance but still felt super fresh because of the writing and details.

I received a complimentary copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Kelli.
1,949 reviews23 followers
June 15, 2025
I put up with a lot in romance books—but describing a New Jersey accent as “sexy”?

I drawn the line.

There’s only so much suspension of disbelief that’s reasonable. As a resident of the garden state, I’ve never once heard someone order a bagel and thought, “ain’t that attractive”.

Also, what’s a “begel”?

I get what they’re going for but nobody says it like that. That’s not the right phonetics. It’s a BAY-gull if anything.

Romanticize literally anything else.

Anyway.

Now that that’s out of my system, I can say I thought this was pretty cute.

I found the first book in this series to fall a bit flat. It wasn’t bad. But, it was just kind of okay?

I think this second book has a better story to it.

Our central relationship—between humble, mama’s boy Austin and obnoxious, rich boy Sebastian—was more dynamic. They had better banter and more of an arc than the relationship between the characters in the prior book.

Each character was also more developed. There was a lot more show than tell. Like, it was very apparent early on that both characters had self-worth issues—but for different reasons. Seb, especially, felt very much like a hurt child who grew into a poorly adjusted adult.

Watching these two young men grow close and mend some of the damage done to them was sweet and wholesome.

I don’t hate this.

If you’re looking for a soft, contemporary mlm sports romance to settle in with for a couple hours, this would be a fine choice~
Profile Image for Amy Stauffer.
802 reviews33 followers
March 3, 2025
This is the first book I’ve read by Emmery Fox, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The amount of character development was incredible and for the first time in a long time, my ADHD didn’t win the battle and I was able to just get lost in the story instead of reading it two chapters at a time.

Not everyone is good at character development. A lot are decent with it. Emmery Fox excels with their character development. You could tell how loneliness was eating Sebastian from the inside out by his mannerisms, his thoughts, reactions, and the mask he wears everyday. And Austin has one on too only his is more subtle. Watching them grow from dislike to like to more was not forced, rushed, or faked. It felt true to their story, true to who they are as a “person”.

I enjoyed the story even more than I’d expected to. It is so much more than just another enemies to lovers/hockey romance. It’s a story of of two guys discovering they have more in common than they’d ever expected. It’s about learning to be open, vulnerable, and REAL. And learning that all the things you yearn for, deep down in your soul, aren’t as out of reach as you thought. And I loved every page of it.

I received a copy for my reading pleasure, but I’ve also preordered it and plan to buy a paperback. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!
Profile Image for Emma.
64 reviews
May 6, 2025
2.5 star

It wasn't bad? I mean it wasn't very good either. I don't remember the first book having this poor of plotting and writing but I remember scoring it similarly due to the jock and nerd trope which I have never been a fan of. This one just felt sloppy like it could use an edit. It feels like the author wrote it, and then didn't go back and reread and adjust the first draft. It wasn't very long so it wasn't too bad but the writing towards the end got lazy feeling where it didn't feel like the author paid a lot of attention to detail as they got deeper into the story. Overall the story was plotted out well with things being brought up and never touched again and a lot of interesting set ups that were just resolved in the most boring way and issues that could have added some interest into the book was overlooked. Lots of potential, poor execution. It was goofy and silly though and I'm not mad I read it, I just wish it was written better because then this had like 4 star potential.
3 reviews
May 7, 2025
Untouchable Player is a cute little mm hockey romance. This was a quick and easy read with only a small conflict towards the end. I eat these tropes up every time so it didn’t surprise me that I loved this book.

- gay/bi
- hockey teammates — captain/teammate
- rivals to lovers
- dual POV
- college setting
- spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I did notice that throughout the book it felt like maybe some moments and characters’ decisions could have gone into more detail.
*SPOILER*
I especially noticed that Sebastian’s decision to take the internship was almost brushed over. I felt as though he decided to come back to the team and then bam, he had decided to take the internship with no talk about it or even some inner monologue.
Other than this minor detail, it was a very cute little romance that I would 100% read again.
Profile Image for K. Dawn .
16 reviews
March 8, 2025
Love. Love. Love.

I really enjoyed “Untouchable Player” so I was excited to read “Unloveable Player” and it was so good!!

This is a classic rivals to lovers, teammates, bi awakening, with just the right amount of hurt/comfort. Seb and Austin are beautiful together and despite a little big of angst they thankfully realized they were right for each other in the end.

The last 20% of the book made my heart ache. First, because it was so heartbreaking to see them hurt for each other. Then because it was so adorable to see them accept the love they had for the other and move forward.

It was nice to see a little glimpse into the near future at the end. I can see them being long term and living HEA. Highly recommend this book and wish I could read it for the first time again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Alex (HEABookNerd).
2,371 reviews
did-not-finish
March 27, 2025
DNF @ 35%

This DNF is mostly just me because UNLOVABLE PLAYER had some things I just don't enjoy in my romances -- rivals/enemies to lovers, Austin still being a bit hung up on his ex, Sebastian sleeping with someone else after meeting Austin, and the team being so mean to Sebastian for no apparent reason. Between Sebastian being forced out of Yale and then being isolated from his new team it felt particularly rough when Austin basically ignored the fact they kissed. And I get it, Austin was confused about his own feelings but it was hard to read how lonely Sebastian was and how he basically would take any crumb of affection Austin would give without expecting anything in return. It's just not the kind of romance and relationship I like to read.
Profile Image for Cj Kee.
15 reviews1 follower
March 13, 2025
Thank you to the author for an arc of this book! I’ve read both books in the series so far and I’ve enjoyed both of them. I liked the relationship development in this book a little more and i really enjoyed the characters growth throughout the book. It was nice seeing both characters grow separately and together.

My only downside to this book is that i felt like the pacing was a little off. It either needed to be shortened to a novella style book or extended so we could really dive deeper into these characters. I felt like we were just kind of thrown into their story with no build at the beginning, but still a good book and an enjoyable read!
Profile Image for Beka.
532 reviews
August 17, 2025
A quick and generally light-hearted read with characters who were very likable throughout.

Austin and Seb had a good dynamic even between all of the initial pretend animosity but I definitely liked them more as they started to get to know each other and like each other. You did end up wanting them to be together - alongside I liked how generally open everyone seemed to about them when they found out, everyone was cool about it which was a nice change.

Some of the topics mentioned in this book felt like they were touched upon for the story but could have been given a bit more time and depth but there wasn't really the page count to do so.

It was a generally enjoyable story.
Profile Image for ੈ♡˳.
184 reviews
April 1, 2025
This was a fun quick read! Sebastian and Austin were so sweet together. I’m happy Sen found a real family in Austin’s and his Mom was the sweetest. I’m also glad Alyssa and Austin ended up staying friends and she was so supportive of him - also happy that she found her man to be happy with.

I do feel like the bi awakening could’ve been explored a bit more and same for Seb being with the professor whilst he was at Yale. Seemed like they were both mentioned a few times but only as more for a shock factor rather than exploring it and ensuring Seb was actually okay after.
8 reviews
March 9, 2025
Rivals to Teammates to Lovers

I devoured this book!! I couldn't put it down! Sebastian and Austin had amazing chemistry and were the perfect opposites attract! Though it touched on some heavy topics, this was a fun lighthearted read that will lift your spirits. I highly recommend!!
Profile Image for Clay.
27 reviews1 follower
June 4, 2025
Another sweet book I couldn’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book with my whole heart
It’s also one of the sweetest book I’ve read in a minute. I love these sweet gentlemen I love everything about them, I can see relate to Sebbie all the little issues left and right that made us feel unlovable. It’s just fantastic. I loved it. Everybody should read it.♥️♥️❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹
Profile Image for ash ✨.
426 reviews
March 26, 2025
kindle: 4⭐️ kinda feel like i maybe want to call this three stars because the ending was suuuper rushed and somewhat unsatisfying but the first 90% of this book was definitely a four-star read so i don’t actually want to call it anything less
Profile Image for Rachel.
554 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2025
4 ⭐️

Really loving this series! At first I thought we would have some connection to the characters from the first book but there wasn’t any.

Enemies to lovers,
Sports romance,
HFN ending,


Profile Image for carla.
29 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2025
DNF @ 49%

telling instead of showing. bland characters.
31 reviews
March 12, 2025
Totally enjoyed this book, loads of heartfelt moments and laughter definitely will be re-reading.
Profile Image for Donna Cansdale.
103 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2025
Heartwarming

Engaging characters with real life problems handled in a believable fashion. Add in hockey, humor and a well written plot line and this is a winner.
Profile Image for Toni K.
611 reviews8 followers
March 21, 2025
Needs an editor and a bit more heart. Nothing egregiously bad, but there are 101 similar hockey romances.
Profile Image for Emily Rose.
10 reviews
April 3, 2025
So cute

I didn't think I'd like this series half as much as I did. But I think it's a new favorite.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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