Deking (Walker University 5) by Cala Riley-review
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 24, 2026
A fake relationship with the Wolves’ star goalie might be the realest thing she’s ever known.
Lyla Wayne had it all—popularity, football quarterback boyfriend, and a packed social calendar. But after tragedy flips her world upside down, she finds herself on the outside of everything she once knew. Isolated, spiraling, and desperate for a fresh start, the last thing she expects is Wyatt Scott.
Wyatt isn’t just the top goalie in college hockey—he’s steady, loyal, and has been quietly nursing a broken heart over Lyla, the girl who’s always been just out of reach. So when a fake relationship with his longtime crush offers a shot at something real, he doesn’t hesitate to play along… even if it risks everything.
Can they turn pretend into something real and finally write the love story that never had a chance to start, or will it all fall apart before the final buzzer?
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REVIEW: DEKING is the fifth instalment in Cala Riley’s contemporary,new adult WALKER UNIVERSITY erotic,hockey romance series.This is university goalie Wyatt Scott,and nursing student Lyla Wayne’s story line. DEKING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. An important information is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Lyla and Wyatt) DEKING focuses on the building romance and relationship between our story line couple. Three years earlier Wyatt Scott fell head over heels for someone else’s girl. Fast forward to present day, Lyla discovers her boyfriend of three years isn’t the man she thought he was,and having witnessed the betrayal,Wyatt offers up a fake relationship in an effort to get close to the woman with whom he had fallen in love but where Wyatt is hoping for forever,Lyla believes there is an end dead, in the near future.
The world building follows Wyatt’s hockey career as the team journeys towards another championship, as Lyla struggles with personal issues at home. The ex-boyfriend doesn’t want to let go, as the jealous girls take aim at our story line heroine.
The relationship begins as a meet cute but Lyla is in a committed relationship, or so she thought.Wyatt will bide his time waiting for the woman who stole his heart,a woman who has no idea Wyatt is the one. As Wyatt begins a slow seduction of our story line heroine, Lyla begins to fall for the man she will push out of her life.The $ex scenes are intimate and intense without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.
The secondary and supporting characters are familiar and charismatic including the return of the previous story line couples. We are introduced to Lyla’s brother Will,their father Jerry, nurse Rachelle,and Lyla’s ex Kyle.
DEKING is a story of secrets and lies,family and friendships, relationships and love.The character driven premise is entertaining and captivating; the romance is fated and passionate;the characters are energetic,determined and dynamic.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sarah
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Cala Riley, better known as Cala and Riley, are a pair of friends with a deep seated love of books and writing. Both Cala and Riley are happily married and each have children, Cala with the four-legged kind while Riley has a mixture of both two-legged and four. While they live apart, that does not affect their connection. They are the true definition of family. What started as an idea that quickly turned into a full-length book and a bond that will never end.
