Fake Skating

Fake Skating exists within the contemporary explosion of ice hockey romance, a subgenre that has evolved from a niche interest to a mainstream phenomenon. While hockey romances have long existed in various forms, recent titles such as Liz Tomforde’s Mile High (2022) and Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker (2022) have gone viral, particularly among younger readers who discover the genre through social media platforms. Many such works take advantage of the fusion of high-stakes competition and emotional depth, and authors in this genre make it a point to describe both the physical intensity of the sport and the tenderness of developing relationships.

Hockey romance differs from other sports-centered subgenres due to the robust cultural framework that surrounds the sport itself. In many real-world settings, hockey transcends the status of a mere game to become a broader social institution, and this dynamic is especially true of northern towns, where the rink becomes a communal gathering space and a symbol of local pride. The sport itself demands a combination of individual skill and collective cohesion, and it naturally lends itself to themes of teamwork, loyalty, and identity. The physicality and speed of the sport offer built-in dramatic tension, while the cyclical rituals of practice, travel, and competition establish a firm structure and create emotional intimacy among players and spectators alike.