Zanders isn’t just a playboy with a heart of gold. He’s a man who actively dismantles his own toxic masculinity, unpacks his childhood trauma on-page, and asks Stevie for enthusiastic consent while making her breakfast. Ryan Shapiro? He’s a grumpy control freak who creates a color-coded roommate agreement, then proceeds to break every rule because he’s secretly a softie who learns her coffee order within 48 hours.

So yes, sometimes the dialogue sounds like a couples therapy worksheet. Yes, the grand gestures involve spreadsheets and verbal affirmations instead of jealousy or grand fights. But after reading The Right Move , I caught myself thinking, “Wait, why wouldn’t a man communicate like this?” And that uncomfortable question is exactly why Tomforde’s work is so interesting.

Here’s an interesting, slightly offbeat review of Liz Tomforde’s Windy City series (focusing on Mile High and The Right Move ), written in the voice of a conflicted but captivated reader: “Liz Tomforde Wrote My Ideal Romance—Then Made Me Question Everything I Believe About Love Stories”

Let me start with a confession: I picked up Mile High expecting a breezy hockey romance with a grumpy-sunshine dynamic and some steamy airport scenes. What I got was a therapy session disguised as a sports romance, and I’m not sure I’ve recovered.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — but that fourth star is clinging on for dear life

And here’s my hot take:

P.S. The spice is excellent. But the emotional foreplay? That’s the real plot.