Behind the Jersey: A Secret Relationship Hockey Romance

"The thing about insomnia was that it made you intimately familiar with the weird hours of your building."

Jake Morrison knows two things for

His downstairs neighbor, the bakery owner with the flour on her cheek, starts her day at exactly 4:45 AM.

He is never going to make it back to the NHL.

For three years, Jake "The Reaper" Morrison has lived a life of rigid routines. Every Wednesday at 8:17 AM, he walks into The Bread Basket, orders six pork buns and a black coffee, and leaves without a word. It’s safe. It’s predictable. It’s the only way he knows how to quiet the noise in his head.

Lucy Chen knows two things for

Her upstairs neighbor, the brooding hockey player with the hazel eyes, walks like he’s carrying the weight of the world.

She is drowning in her grandmother’s legacy.

Trapped by guilt and an endless to-do list, Lucy has forgotten who she is outside of the bakery. She finds comfort in the rhythm of kneading dough and the safety of her schedule—until the Wednesday Jake breaks his own rule.

He doesn't just buy the buns. He sits down.

suddenly, the wall between their apartments isn't the only barrier coming down. As late-night Western marathons turn into shared secrets and tentative touches, Jake and Lucy realize they might be exactly what the other needs to stop running.

But when the NHL finally calls Jake’s name, and a developer offers Lucy a way out of the bakery, their safe little world is threatened. Now, they must decide if the dreams they thought they wanted are worth losing the person who finally makes them feel at home.

Perfect for readers looking for a low-angst, high-comfort romance

✔️ Neurodivergent Rep (Protagonists with anxiety, sensory processing traits, and insomnia)
✔️ Cozy Small-Town Vibes (Think Gilmore Girls meets hockey)
✔️ Grumpy x Sunshine (He’s a stone-faced goalie; she’s a warm-hearted baker)
✔️ Neighbors to Lovers (Shared walls and 3 AM talks)
✔️ Cinnamon Roll Hero (He learns to cook just to impress her)
✔️ Found Family (A hockey team that refuses to mind their own business)
✔️ Foodie Romance ( Will make you crave pork buns and pastries)