Kristen Hope Mazzola writes contemporary romance featuring professional hockey players, musicians, motorcycle clubs, military families, bartenders, and characters recovering from grief or damaged relationships.
Her current bibliography has an important dividing point. The original Shots on Goal hockey books were fully rewritten, expanded, and reissued in January 2026. Those editions remain the same eight New York Otters stories, but they contain significantly revised and enlarged versions of the earlier books.
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A second hockey series, Shots on Goal: MN Frosthawks, began in 2026. It follows a different professional team and should not be confused with the relaunched New York Otters sequence.
Four Ways Into Kristen Hope Mazzola’s Books
- Readers looking for hockey romance should begin with Hat Trick.
- Readers wanting motorcycle-club romance should begin with Unacceptable.
- Readers interested in rock stars should begin with The Hysterics.
- Readers looking for an emotional military-family story should begin with Crashing Back Down.
The Happy Hour books provide a shorter romantic-comedy route, while the Huntress trilogy offers a darker co-written suspense storyline.
Shots on Goal: New York Otters Books in Order
Shots on Goal follows players, relatives, friends, and partners connected to the New York Otters hockey organization.
All eight romances were rewritten, expanded, and newly edited for a coordinated relaunch on January 30, 2026. Older editions tell the same central stories, but readers buying the books now should choose the expanded 2026 versions.
Each book has a different central couple and a complete romantic conclusion. Team connections and appearances by earlier characters make publication order the preferred route.
1. Hat Trick
Hat Trick (2016, expanded 2026 edition): Figure skater Myla Cox loses her mother and her Olympic future in a devastating crash, then moves in with her hockey-playing brother and falls for his teammate Gavin.
The romance combines grief, recovery, professional sports, and a forbidden teammate’s-sister relationship. It remains the safest starting point for the New York Otters universe.
2. Cross Checked
Cross Checked (2017, expanded 2026 edition): A car accident brings two lives together while hockey, family responsibilities, and emotional damage complicate the relationship that follows.
The second book expands the Otters circle and includes characters connected to Hat Trick. Read it second when recurring team relationships matter.
3. Cherry Picked
Cherry Picked (2017, expanded 2026 edition): Aspiring ballerina Nikki Jennings meets rookie hockey player Chase Harding in New York and begins a fast-moving first-love romance while both pursue demanding careers.
The book brings dance and professional hockey together through an inexperienced couple whose futures are only beginning.
4. Low Blow
Low Blow (2017, expanded 2026 edition): Championship boxer Griffin Hayes receives a transplanted heart, then meets mechanic Olive Cooper, the daughter of the man whose death gave him a second chance at life.
The story centers on grief, survivor’s guilt, healing, and the difficult emotional connection created by organ donation.
5. Playoff Beard
Playoff Beard (2017, expanded 2026 edition): A New York Otters player enters a romance during the pressure of playoff hockey, where a carefully maintained image and growing feelings become increasingly difficult to separate.
The book continues the team continuity while giving another athlete a self-contained romantic arc.
6. Off Duty
Off Duty (2017, expanded 2026 edition): A character accustomed to professional responsibility faces a relationship that develops outside the role, routine, or identity that normally controls his life.
The romance broadens the Otters world beyond game nights and shows how professional pressures affect private commitments.
7. For You, I Will
For You, I Will (2019, expanded 2026 edition): Love, sacrifice, and loyalty place another Otters-connected couple in a relationship where choosing each other requires more than attraction.
Earlier team relationships remain visible, so the book is best read after the first six installments.
8. First Last Kiss
First Last Kiss (2019, expanded 2026 edition): A romance shaped by first love, lasting attachment, and the possibility of a final chance closes the original New York Otters sequence.
The eighth book works as an individual romance but carries more emotional weight after the team’s earlier couples have been established.
Which Shots on Goal Editions Should You Read?
Choose the expanded 2026 editions when they are available.
The eight relaunched books preserve the original titles and central couples, but they were rewritten, lengthened, and newly edited. The earlier and expanded editions should not be counted as separate installments.
The correct order remains:
- Hat Trick
- Cross Checked
- Cherry Picked
- Low Blow
- Playoff Beard
- Off Duty
- For You, I Will
- First Last Kiss
The author describes these as interconnected standalones, so readers can select a particular premise. Publication order provides the fullest team continuity.
Shots on Goal: MN Frosthawks Books in Order
The Minnesota Frosthawks series is a new branch of the Shots on Goal universe.
These books follow a different professional hockey team. They are not expanded editions of the New York Otters novels and should be listed as a separate series.
1. Public Enemy #91
Public Enemy #91 (2026): Hockey enforcer Alois Müller is professional hockey’s favorite villain, so PR strategist Beatriz Ribeiro creates a fake relationship with him to repair his image.
Their manufactured romance becomes increasingly real as media attention, team pressure, and Alois’s reputation threaten the strategy designed to protect them.
This book was published in May 2026 and is the correct Frosthawks starting point.
2. Wild Card #13
Wild Card #13 (2026): Ty “Buzz” Burns returns to the life of Lucy Thomas, the woman he hurt in high school and the daughter of the man who owns his new hockey team.
Lucy has rebuilt her career and future without him, but working for the Frosthawks makes avoiding their unfinished relationship impossible.
The book is scheduled for August 7, 2026. It remains forthcoming on the date of this update.
3. Brick Wall #30
Brick Wall #30 (2026): The third Frosthawks romance will move another numbered player into the center while continuing the team relationships established by Alois and Buzz.
The book is scheduled for November 2026. Detailed plot information has not yet been reliably confirmed, so its premise should not be stated more specifically.
Recommended Frosthawks Order
Read the Minnesota series in publication order:
- Public Enemy #91
- Wild Card #13
- Brick Wall #30
The players share a team and supporting cast. Beginning with Public Enemy #91 gives readers the intended introduction to the Frosthawks organization.
The Crashing Books in Order
The Crashing books center on grief, military loss, friendship, and relationships formed after lives have been permanently changed.
The two principal novels tell one continuing story. The Wedding is a prequel or companion novella, while Crash & Burn follows a separate couple within the broader circle.
1. Crashing Back Down
Crashing Back Down (2013): Mags McManus becomes a widow in her twenties after her husband Randy dies during military service, leaving her to rebuild among the friends and family who share her grief.
As Mags begins trusting and loving again, new revelations threaten the fragile future she has created.
This book ends with unresolved developments and should be followed by Falling Back Together.
2. Falling Back Together
Falling Back Together (2014): Mags and the people closest to her face the consequences of the first book’s revelations while trying to determine whether damaged trust and shared grief can be repaired.
This is a direct continuation rather than another standalone couple. Read it immediately after Crashing Back Down.
The Wedding
The Wedding (2015): A wedding connected to the Crashing characters provides additional relationship history and a shorter return to their emotional circle.
Although sometimes numbered Book 0.5, it is better read after the main two-book story. Readers will understand the characters and emotional significance more clearly.
Crash & Burn
Crash & Burn (2018): A firefighter-centered companion romance follows characters connected to the Crashing world while giving its own couple a complete story.
A shorter version appeared previously in an anthology. The later release is the expanded and complete edition.
Best Crashing Reading Order
Use this order for the strongest emotional progression:
- Crashing Back Down
- Falling Back Together
- The Wedding
- Crash & Burn
Strict chronological readers may place The Wedding first, but recommended order preserves the introductions and major revelations.
The Hysterics Books in Order
The Hysterics series follows members of a rock band and the people connected to their lives.
Music, fame, friendship, addiction, old relationships, and the pressure of touring carry across the books. Each principal romance has its own focus, but the band’s history develops in order.
1. The Hysterics
The Hysterics (2015): Fallon Dunbar becomes part of the rock-band world while confronting the identity, relationships, and painful history attached to her earlier life.
The novel establishes the band and its central emotional conflicts.
Colt & Serena
Colt & Serena (2016): Colt and Serena receive a companion romance connected to The Hysterics, expanding the band’s relationship circle through a shorter standalone story.
It is commonly numbered Book 1.5 and should be read after The Hysterics.
2. Becoming Hysteric
Becoming Hysteric (2018): A relationship that began in high school and ended there receives another chance inside the band’s adult world.
The book develops the history behind The Hysterics while continuing the professional and personal changes established in the opening novel.
3. Steele
Steele (2018): Bassist Maverick Steele moves from supporting band member to central hero, revealing the private damage and romantic conflict behind his rock-star image.
Read it last for the fullest understanding of the band and its established couples.
The Hysterics Reading Order
- The Hysterics
- Colt & Serena
- Becoming Hysteric
- Steele
Colt & Serena is optional for readers following only the principal novels, but it belongs naturally between Books 1 and 2.
Unacceptables MC Books in Order
Unacceptables MC is Kristen Hope Mazzola’s longest non-hockey series.
The books follow motorcycle-club members, partners, military veterans, relatives, and people caught in the violence surrounding the club. Each installment centers on a different romance, but the club’s alliances, enemies, and established couples continue throughout the sequence.
These books contain darker material than the Happy Hour or Shots on Goal romances, including organized violence, criminal activity, trauma, and threats to partners or families.
1. Unacceptable
Unacceptable (2015): A woman reconnects with the protective stepbrother tied to the motorcycle-club world, beginning a romance complicated by family history and dangerous loyalties.
The book introduces the Unacceptables and the relationships that support the longer series.
2. Unspeakable
Unspeakable (2016): Another club-connected couple confronts trauma or secrets that have been too painful to discuss while external danger increases the cost of remaining silent.
Earlier members continue to appear, so the book belongs after Unacceptable.
3. Unbreakable
Unbreakable (2017): A relationship is tested by club violence, personal damage, and the belief that loyalty should survive anything.
The romance strengthens the found-family structure around the Unacceptables.
4. Untouchable
Untouchable (2017): A woman or club member believed to be unavailable becomes the center of a relationship that crosses a dangerous personal boundary.
The consequences extend beyond the central couple because the club protects its own.
5. Unbearable
Unbearable (2018): Grief, emotional pressure, or a threat that can no longer be endured forces another couple to depend on the Unacceptables.
The story continues the series’ balance of romance and club conflict.
6. Uncut
Uncut (2018): A rawer club romance places honesty, physical danger, and an emotionally exposed relationship at the center.
Established members remain active around the new couple.
7. Undeniable
Undeniable (2018): Marine veteran Ryan receives another chance with Cass years after leaving her and breaking the connection they shared before his military service.
Their second-chance romance unfolds while Ryan’s role within the Unacceptables draws violence back into their lives.
8. Unscarred
Unscarred (2018): A character carrying visible or private scars attempts to build a relationship without allowing past trauma to determine the future.
The club’s protection offers safety, but it also brings new risks.
9. Unstable
Unstable (2018): Emotional volatility and danger challenge another Unacceptables relationship as the central characters struggle to create stability inside the club’s world.
Read it after Unscarred to preserve the expanding cast.
Tis the Season
Tis the Season (2018): The Unacceptables gather for a holiday story involving established characters, club family, and seasonal complications.
This novella openly revisits previous couples. It should be read after Unstable, not as an introduction to the MC.
10. Unfixable
Unfixable (2019): A character who believes the past has left him beyond repair meets someone unwilling to accept that damage as permanent.
The romance continues the later Unacceptables era after the holiday gathering.
11. Unkillable
Unkillable (2019): Survival becomes central when a club-connected relationship is threatened by violence that tests the Unacceptables’ ability to protect their own.
Previous conflicts and alliances give the danger more context.
12. Unwounded
Unwounded (2019): The final principal Unacceptables romance focuses on healing and the possibility of moving forward without pretending the club’s members escaped their past unchanged.
The book closes the published sequence while revisiting the family created across the earlier novels.
Recommended Unacceptables MC Order
- Unacceptable
- Unspeakable
- Unbreakable
- Untouchable
- Unbearable
- Uncut
- Undeniable
- Unscarred
- Unstable
- Tis the Season
- Unfixable
- Unkillable
- Unwounded
The romances are described as standalones, but reading in order gives the clearest club progression and prevents established couples from being revealed early.
The Huntress Trilogy in Order
The Huntress trilogy was co-written by Kristen Hope Mazzola and Dawn Robertson.
It follows a darker continuing storyline involving danger, identity, survival, and characters connected through the Huntress world.
1. The Huntress
The Huntress (2016): A dangerous heroine enters a violent conflict where her skills, identity, and relationships place her between survival and revenge.
The book establishes the central characters and external threat.
2. The Hopeless
The Hopeless (2016): The consequences of the opening conflict deepen as characters facing loss and desperation struggle to preserve the relationships formed in the first book.
This is a continuation and should not be read independently.
3. The Nameless
The Nameless (2017): Hidden identities and unresolved enemies drive the trilogy toward its final confrontation.
Read it after The Hopeless for the complete suspense and relationship arc.
The Huntress Reading Rule
Read the trilogy strictly in order:
- The Huntress
- The Hopeless
- The Nameless
Unlike Mazzola’s connected standalone series, these books form a continuing story.
Happy Hour Books in Order
Happy Hour is a four-book romantic-comedy series named after cocktails.
The books follow different couples connected through friendship, nightlife, and a shared social circle. They were all published in 2019.
1. Manhattan
Manhattan (2019): A New York-flavored romantic comedy introduces the Happy Hour group through a relationship involving nightlife, friendship, and attraction that refuses to remain casual.
The book establishes the series’ lighter tone and connected cast.
2. Gin & Tonic
Gin & Tonic (2019): Another couple in the social circle finds that two contrasting personalities can work together more successfully than either expects.
Earlier Happy Hour characters remain visible around the romance.
3. Dirty Martini
Dirty Martini (2019): A flirtatious or provocative connection becomes emotionally complicated when the couple can no longer treat their relationship as another entertaining night out.
Read it third for the continuing friendship group.
4. Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (2019): The final cocktail-named romance completes the Happy Hour sequence through another relationship shaped by city life, friendship, and changing expectations.
The earlier couples return as part of the established group.
Happy Hour Reading Order
- Manhattan
- Gin & Tonic
- Dirty Martini
- Cosmopolitan
Each romance can be understood individually, but publication order gives the social circle a natural progression.
Kristen Hope Mazzola Standalone Books
These novels and novellas remain outside the principal numbered series.
Stupid Hearts
Stupid Hearts (2015): A romantic comedy follows characters whose feelings repeatedly undermine the sensible choices they believe they should make.
The story is independent and requires no Crashing or Hysterics background.
Rough and Tumble
Rough and Tumble (2016): Recent graduate Peyton begins working as a photographer for a North Carolina organization and becomes involved with a man whose confidence and demanding world unsettle her new life.
The novella is a standalone contemporary romance.
Donut Be Easy
Donut Be Easy (2018): A food-centered romantic comedy uses a playful setup to bring together characters whose attraction becomes more complicated than the light premise suggests.
No earlier series reading is required.
Offsides
Offsides (2019): A sports romantic comedy places a relationship in conflict with athletic loyalties, personal boundaries, or the rules governing the central characters.
It is separate from Shots on Goal despite its sports setting.
Collections and Boxed Sets
Collections contain stories already listed and should not be counted as new principal books.
Lust & Love
Lust & Love (2016): A four-novella collection containing Rough and Tumble, Colt & Serena, and additional standalone romantic stories.
Readers who own the individual novellas should check the contents before purchasing the collection.
The Hysterics Box Set
The Hysterics Box Set (2018): Collects the principal Hysterics stories and related companion material.
It does not introduce another band member’s romance beyond the separately listed books.
Shots on Goal Series Box Set
Shots on Goal Series Box Set: Collects the original New York Otters romances in one package.
Older boxed sets may contain the pre-2026 texts. Readers wanting the fully rewritten versions should confirm that the edition is labeled expanded 2026.
Unacceptables Series Box Sets
The Unacceptables Series Box Sets: Package groups of the motorcycle-club romances without changing their order.
The holiday novella may not appear in every bundle, so readers should check the included titles.
Mouth
Mouth (2015): A multi-author collection featuring romance or erotica from several writers, including Kristen Hope Mazzola.
Only her contribution belongs in an author-specific bibliography.
Mouth Rocks the Heart
Mouth Rocks the Heart (2016): Another multi-author collection combines romance stories connected by music, emotion, or desire.
It is optional and does not add a numbered Hysterics book.
Hook & Ladder 69
Hook & Ladder 69 (2016): A multi-author firefighter-romance collection includes a Kristen Hope Mazzola contribution alongside stories by other writers.
The collection is separate from the expanded Crash & Burn companion novel.
Lustology
Lustology (2018): A multi-author erotic-romance collection contains work by several authors.
It should not be counted as a new Kristen Hope Mazzola series installment.
Word Search for Warriors
Word Search for Warriors (2017): A charity-oriented collection contains contributions connected to supporting military members or veterans.
Only Mazzola’s included work belongs in her bibliography.
Is There One Overall Chronological Order?
No.
Crashing, The Hysterics, Unacceptables MC, Shots on Goal, Happy Hour, and the Huntress trilogy have separate central continuities.
The original Shots on Goal titles were reissued together in 2026, but their internal order remains the same. The Minnesota Frosthawks books follow another team and begin after the New York Otters relaunch.
Reading all books by original publication year would mix unrelated widows, rock stars, bikers, hockey players, and romantic-comedy characters. Series order is more useful.
Recommended Kristen Hope Mazzola Reading Plan
For the current hockey experience:
- Read the eight expanded New York Otters books.
- Begin the Minnesota Frosthawks with Public Enemy #91.
- Continue with Wild Card #13 after August 7, 2026.
- Read Brick Wall #30 after its planned November release.
For the darker connected series:
- Read Unacceptables MC in publication order.
- Read the Huntress trilogy without interruption.
For emotionally focused contemporary romance:
- Read Crashing Back Down.
- Continue immediately with Falling Back Together.
- Add The Wedding and Crash & Burn afterward.
For a lighter commitment, read the four Happy Hour books in cocktail order.
Latest Kristen Hope Mazzola Book
Public Enemy #91 (2026): Frosthawks enforcer Alois Müller enters a fake relationship with PR strategist Beatriz Ribeiro to repair his reputation, only for their media strategy to become emotionally real.
It was published in May 2026 and is the latest released Kristen Hope Mazzola novel as of August 4, 2026.
The eight expanded New York Otters editions were released earlier, on January 30, 2026.
Upcoming Kristen Hope Mazzola Books
Wild Card #13 (2026): Ty “Buzz” Burns reunites with Lucy Thomas, his high-school love and the daughter of the Frosthawks’ owner. It is scheduled for August 7, 2026.
Brick Wall #30 (2026): The third Minnesota Frosthawks romance is scheduled for November 2026. A more detailed premise has not yet been reliably confirmed.
Upcoming dates can change before publication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Kristen Hope Mazzola’s First Book?
Crashing Back Down (2013): Young military widow Mags McManus attempts to rebuild her life after losing her husband Randy.
It begins the continuing two-book Crashing storyline.
What Is the Best Kristen Hope Mazzola Book to Start With?
Begin with Hat Trick for hockey romance.
Begin with Unacceptable for motorcycle-club romance, The Hysterics for rock stars, or Crashing Back Down for grief and military-family drama.
Were the Shots on Goal Books Rewritten?
Yes.
All eight New York Otters novels were fully rewritten, expanded, and newly edited for release on January 30, 2026.
They retain their original titles and central couples, so the older and newer versions should not be counted separately.
Can Shots on Goal Be Read Out of Order?
The New York Otters books follow different couples and can be understood independently.
Publication order is still recommended because players, relatives, friends, and previous couples recur.
Are the Minnesota Frosthawks Connected to the New York Otters?
They share the Shots on Goal branding and professional-hockey focus, but the Frosthawks form a new team series.
Readers can begin with Public Enemy #91 without completing the eight Otters novels.
Is Wild Card #13 Published?
Not as of August 4, 2026.
It is scheduled for August 7, 2026.
Does Crashing Back Down Have a Sequel?
Yes.
Falling Back Together directly continues the story and should be read second.
Should The Wedding Be Read First?
It is numbered as a prequel, but reading it after the main Crashing story gives its characters and relationships clearer context.
Chronological readers may place it first.
Is Crash & Burn Part of the Main Crashing Duet?
It is a companion standalone.
Its central romance is separate, although the characters belong to the broader Crashing circle.
Are the Hysterics Books Standalones?
They follow different members or connected couples, but the band’s history and earlier relationships carry across the series.
Begin with The Hysterics.
Where Does Colt & Serena Belong?
Read it after The Hysterics and before Becoming Hysteric.
It is a companion novella commonly numbered Book 1.5.
How Many Unacceptables MC Books Are There?
There are twelve principal romances, plus the holiday novella Tis the Season.
The complete route begins with Unacceptable and ends with Unwounded.
Can the Unacceptables Books Be Read Separately?
Each book has a central romance, but the motorcycle club and its established relationships continue throughout the series.
Reading in order is strongly recommended.
Did Kristen Hope Mazzola Write the Huntress Trilogy Alone?
No.
The Huntress trilogy was co-written with Dawn Robertson.
Do the Huntress Books Need to Be Read in Order?
Yes.
The Huntress, The Hopeless, and The Nameless form one continuing suspense storyline.
Are the Happy Hour Books Connected?
Yes, through their friendship and social circle.
They remain connected standalones and should be read from Manhattan through Cosmopolitan.
Is Offsides Part of Shots on Goal?
No.
It is a separate sports romantic comedy and should not be counted as a ninth New York Otters book.
What Is Kristen Hope Mazzola’s Latest Series?
Shots on Goal: MN Frosthawks is her newest series.
It began with Public Enemy #91 and is scheduled to continue with Wild Card #13 and Brick Wall #30.
Conclusion
The best current Kristen Hope Mazzola starting point is the expanded 2026 edition of Hat Trick. Continue through all eight New York Otters books in order, then begin the Minnesota Frosthawks with Public Enemy #91.
Readers interested in her earlier connected worlds should keep the continuities separate. Read the Crashing duet together, follow The Hysterics in band order, and begin the Unacceptables MC with Unacceptable.
The Huntress trilogy requires strict order. Happy Hour and the New York Otters are more flexible, but publication order gives recurring characters and established couples their intended context.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.