My Custom Robot, My Rival's Face

Injured hockey captain falls for rival posing as his $1 robot companion.

Julian Reed, captain of the North Star Knights, is benched by a knee injury and spends a single dollar on a bionic companion modeled after Kyle Voth, his on-ice rival of four years. He grows close to the figure, convinced a machine could never reject him. A phone alert then reveals the ordered unit never shipped, exposing the person in his bed as the real Kyle, who has been masquerading as the robot despite claiming to hate Julian.

• Modern Romance
• Slow Burn Romance
• Sweet Romance

1. Julian Reed captains North Star Knights
2. Knee injury sidelines Julian
3. One-dollar robot modeled on rival Kyle Voth

Romance fans who enjoy secret-identity twists and rivals-to-lovers tension.