Delayed Penalty

A hockey player trying to prove himself to the Seattle Serpents suddenly becomes a guardian to his young niece when family tragedy forces his hand. To keep things together, he hires Quinn Benson as a nanny, a choice that complicates every carefully laid plan. She is warm, unpredictable, and magnetic in all the ways he is trying to resist, yet she is exactly what his niece needs. The third entry in Teagan Hunter's Seattle Serpents series delivers a grumpy-sunshine romance built on genuine emotional stakes, balancing found-family tenderness with slow-burn tension.

J.F. Harding and Rose Dioro split the dual narration with clear chemistry, giving the story's opposing personalities distinct, lived-in voices. Harding's guarded restraint plays well against Dioro's brighter register, and the contrast sharpens the push-pull dynamic that drives the plot. At just over nine hours, the pacing stays tight, and Hunter's sharp, witty dialogue lands particularly well when performed aloud.